Nothing Is Ever Simple
by coxcomb
Summary: Chris is sent to Italy on a solo mission only to find out he has been assigned a partner. Leon isn't happy about the situation either, especially when he will have to be around Chris, a man who doesn't understand privacy, day and night. Chris/Leon
1. Chapter 1

_So I'm noticing a serious lack of Chris and Leon loving in this world._.. _I'm not here to flood the place with it but I am here to help the cause a little. Anyway, this first chapter is just the introduction to let you get a feel for the characters and how I've portrayed them. As usual, I don't own the characters and all I own are the games in which they are featured. Enjoy._

* * *

Chapter One

Chris wasn't a fan of the government in any way. He constantly felt betrayed by them and didn't trust them one bit. However, regardless of his feelings towards them, he never stopped them from signing his cheques or sending him across the world on missions. Of these two things, he was a fan.

So when he was sent to Rome to simply investigate some old ruins, he didn't argue. He wasn't an archaeologist and his interest and knowledge of history was limited but he wasn't going to turn down a chance to visit Italy. After all, he'd done these kinds of missions before. In and out with few hiccups. The worst that ever happens is a historian breaks a nail…or a nose but word had got around on the archaeologist scene not to mess with Chris Redfield so he doubted there would be a repeat of that.

He always packed light. Only the essentials were necessary: toiletries, clothes, laptop, phone and a small good luck charm from his sister. Normally, he wouldn't even take the laptop but it held the directions to where he was going and he could look up local attractions to visit.

He clutched his holdall as he climbed off the back of his sister's motorcycle, handing the spare helmet to Claire and taking his sunglasses out of his pocket.

"I'm going to miss you," Claire said, handing a passport and a few documents over to Chris.

"I'll only be gone a couple of weeks," he replied, putting his shades on and looking at his passport. He hated his picture in it and wished he could change it but it wasn't to be renewed for another year. His hair looked awful. "Anyway, you'll be able to have that little boyfriend of yours over," he said, taking his cigarettes out of his pocket and placing one between his lips.

"Hardly. He gets on my nerves more than you do." She threw a lighter over to her brother, remembering to grab it from the kitchen before leaving. She knew he'd forget it. She quickly started making her way towards the airport. For a man with such military training, Chris had an awful sense of time.

He caught the lighter with ease, quickly lighting up and blowing out a puff of smoke. "A moment ago you said you'd miss me," he laughed, catching up to his sister. "Man, I don't get you women. You remind me of Jill, she was always saying one thing but meaning another."

"Oh yeah, and your tiny brain couldn't handle that. I still don't know why you two broke up. I really liked her, even if she did lie about bleaching her hair." She stopped and faced her brother, grabbing the cigarette from his mouth and discarding it before hugging his tightly.

"What did you do that for?" He asked, his voice muffled by her hair.

"You've got about five minutes before your plane sets off and you're not allowed to smoke in the airport," she said, pushing him away and smiling. "Now go! Quick quick!"

Chris nodded as he started walking backwards into the airport. "I'll buy you a souvenir! Something really tacky!" He yelled, grinning madly.

Claire rolled her eyes, putting her helmet back on. "Great…" she murmured.

.

He leaned back in his seat. The perks of working for the government were rich. Luxury travel arrangements. First class tickets everywhere. What was a few bullet wounds and near death experiences when you could fly back with your feet up cradling a glass of whiskey?

Not to mention the flight attendants wearing tight skirts and pale white shirts. If he focused long enough, he could see through them. The outline of red lace and the small bump of a nipple. Then there was the view when they bent down to top up his glass…Yes, his job had its perks.

But when things went well, Chris always wondered what would go wrong next. The plane crashing was too clichéd for his life. Perhaps a screaming child or an elderly passenger would ruin it.

It wasn't until he got off the plane that something went wrong. He'd been on many journeys before; passed through many airports and he was sure that when you were unable to pick up your bag from baggage claim then there was a problem.

"So what exactly do you mean?" Chris asked, grinding his teeth together in an attempt to suppress his anger.

The man behind the desk cradled the phone on his shoulder and held his hand up. "One moment," he said with a heavy Italian accent.

Chris could only lean against the counter and watch the man talk into the phone in a language he would probably never understand. He browsed the leaflets in the small holders, watched the changing times and statuses on the departures and arrivals board.

"There was a problem with your luggage before it went on the plane," the man started, looking at his computer with disinterest. "A weapon of some sort was found to be in your possession…"

"Excuse me? A weapon?" Chris slammed his hand onto the counter, breathing heavily. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about…I mean, what the fuck?" He laughed, his fingers drumming on the desk.

"Sir, if you don't calm down I will have to call security," the man said in broken English, his eyes looking over Chris's shoulder and at the security guard lurking in the background.

Chris glanced quickly over his shoulder before standing up straight and holding his hands up. "I am calm. Calm as the ocean."

The man behind the desk raised an eyebrow. Clearly the phrase held no relevance in Italy.

"Will I get my luggage back at all?" He asked, taking in deep breaths.

The man shook his head. "It has been…" He waved his hands in the air, searching for a word. "Incinerated."

Chris held his breath, promptly turning around and walking out of the airport, the security guard's eyes on him until he climbed into a taxi and they pulled away. He knew he should have just taken his bag on as hand luggage. He just knew it.

.

The taxi journey was as pleasant as the plane journey. Relaxing, until he got to the other end and found out he had to pay a ridiculous amount of money. He had his fair share of good luck and he always had a dose of bad luck to even it out.

The building he arrived at was a typical government building. Flags decorated the outside and armed guards stood at every gate, window and manhole and like most, it took more than just a flash of his passport to gain entrance.

"So glad to see you could finally make it," a man bellowed from the front door as Chris was being patted down, the guard being overly friendly with his hands, earning him a stern look from Chris.

"I only got told about it a couple of days ago, I ain't no miracle worker," Chris snapped as he shrugged the guards off him and strode forward to take hold of the man's hand, shaking it firmly.

The man wasn't handsome on any level. Balding and overweight; a typical government fat cat who always called in lackeys to do his dirty work. However, a trip to Rome was a trip to Rome, regardless of who was paying for it or who you were working for.

"A feisty, rude American…" the man mumbled. "Such a rare occurrence." He smiled cheerfully before turning and leading Chris into the building.

"So what can I call you?" Chris asked as he took a seat in the man's office. He took in the lavish furniture and the bold wallpaper. It was old fashioned and he was sure the chair he was sat in was over a hundred years old.

The man pursed his lips. "My name is not of importance," he said with a boastful tone, placing a large cigar in his mouth. "Your task, however, is. I want you and a partner to go to a site, just outside of the city, and just scope out the place. Make sure it's safe for my archaeologists to return there."

Chris leaned forward slightly. "Return there? What exactly went down there?" He paused for a moment, watching the man blow smoke rings with the cigar smoke. "And what do you mean by 'partner'? I was told this was a solo mission."

"Yes well, it has come to my attention that you may need some form of backup." He rocked in his chair slightly, his hands on his stomach and the cigar clutched between his teeth. "Of course, I'll equip you with only the best weapons to date and you'll be staying in one of the best places in Italy with your partner. All very good, nice as pie. Hunky dory as you yanks would say."

Chris frowned. He couldn't remember a time he'd ever said that. But the main thing on his mind was the fact he would be getting a partner for a mission he assumed he could do with his eyes closed. He didn't work well with partners; not anymore.

"Ah, here's your partner now," the man said, standing up and gesturing at the door.

He wasn't sure exactly what nationality this man was supposed to be. He was reminiscent of a Texan oil tycoon but he spoke with a heavy Indian accent but dressed like an Englishman going for a spot of afternoon tea.

He craned his neck around at the sound of the door opening, instantly dismissing the sight of his partner and turning around. He wasn't anything special. His first thought was that a teenage haircut on a thirty-something man was not a good idea.

"I want you to meet your partner for the duration of your stay," he pushed the man in front of Chris, forcing Chris to stumble to his feet to avoid an awkward encounter with a stranger's crotch. "Leon Kennedy."

Chris wiped the palm of his hand on his trousers before shaking hands with Leon. He eyed up his new partner with disdain. He didn't want or need a partner; especially not one that looked like a breeze would knock him over. "Chris Redfield," he said bluntly.

"He's a good guy, you two will have no problems at all," the man spoke with a happy tone, wrapping his arms around both men's shoulders and moving towards the door. "Leon has all the details of your mission and will help you in any way."

"Wait, if I may ask you something…" Chris started, faltering slightly as the man shoved him out of his office.

However, before he could even formulate a sentence, the door was slammed shut and Leon was already striding off down the corridor. Clearly, this new partnership wasn't an ideal for him either.

.

"So have they affected your penis size in any way?" Leon asked as they arrived outside, the midday heat blazing down on them.

Chris arched his left eyebrow and shot a glance at his new partner. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"The steroids, I mean."

He laughed, once again showing his passport to the guards to exit. "These muscles are one hundred percent Chris Redfield, built with discipline and endurance. I don't harm my body with such things." He stopped, taking out his cigarettes and placing one between his lips.

Leon stopped and grunted slightly. "Oh but you'll give yourself lung cancer? Great, another genius I have the pleasure to work with. I just can't wait."

Chris chuckled, smoke filling the air before him. "Don't start acting all high and mighty with me, Kennedy. You're no better than me."

"I wasn't acting. I am better than you," he said with a smirk, setting off again. "Look, I don't want to be your friend and I don't want to be your partner. We're going to do the mission, then you can get lost back to America and I can continue doing what I do here."

"Which is what exactly? Sitting around eating pizza and straightening your hair?" Chris said as he caught up with Leon. He wasn't sure where exactly they were going but he figured Leon knew where his hotel was being as he had all the details.

"Were you made aware that you'd be staying with me for the duration of your stay?" Leon asked, ignoring Chris's question and facing him.

Chris stared at Leon for a moment, grinning as if what Leon said was a joke before he noticed the look on his face and realised he was serious. "I was told I would have full accommodation. En-suite bathroom, breakfast at 7am… You're joking, right? The guy just told me I'd be staying in the best place in Italy!"

Leon shook his head. "You will have an en-suite. Breakfast is at seven. If you want, you can find a hotel but it's high season and people around here don't look kindly on us. They know we work for the government and they dislike it." His voice was monotonous as he spoke. "And my place is the best place in Italy. I've had the pleasure of hosting dinner for the boss and his wife several times."

"What about if I want to lie in?" Chris asked, raising his arms in the air, trying to shake off his jetlag.

"I thought you were disciplined?" He said with a coy tone. "I'm not your mother. If you want to lie in on days we aren't working, then do it. If you want, I'll keep out of your way as long as you keep out of mine. Hell, we don't have to have dinner together. " He paused, smiling sarcastically. "Just make sure than when I have some mutant historian gnawing on my neck, you have a shotgun ready."

Chris watched as Leon continued ahead. Mutant historian? He was told this was a simple exploration job: in and out.

He sighed heavily, this was turning into a nightmare trip. First a lost bag, then a partner with a serious attitude problem and talk of mutants, which had him instantly breaking out in a cold sweat. Why was nothing ever simple?

* * *

_So we have Chris being a manly man and Leon being a little awkward. If you're reading this, you're probably wondering how they'll get together and when the manloving will come into it since Chris was on a plane looking at ladies. Don't worry, I assure you there will be action so let us see if you can stay with this just long enough for a plot to develop. Updates will be whenever I have time and reviews are always appreciated. Hit counters make me depressed when you see how many hits you've had and so few reviews. _


	2. Chapter 2

_An update! Quick for me since I have trouble organising my time and I never have any time left to write. Anyway, to clarify some things: yes, there will be mansex eventually but I want to get a plot going and Chris is clearly straight...yes, I know it's fiction but straight men don't just jump into bed with men. _

_Well, you might if you are a man but if you do, you should ask yourself some serious questions. Secondly, if you're only reading this for mansex, expect it around chapter... one million since I can never predict what I'm doing. Sometimes things just lead that way and before I know it, bang! They're doing it in chapter four. But honestly, I want to get some plot going, throw in a few mutants and have some gunfire. After all, we play the games so let's get that feel to the story. Plus, I'm currently on my third run of Resident Evil 5 so I'm going to want to write about that stuff. _

_Hope you've all finished it yourself! (If you have, don't you just love dressing Chris up in that safari outfit? That outfit alone deserves a fic of its own...maybe throw in gangsta Leon too)_

* * *

Chapter Two

"I'm thinking maybe we got off on the wrong foot," Chris said as he took a seat across from Leon at the dinner table. Dinner wasn't being served and he was unsure as to whether or not he was to make his own.

He had found his partner's home to be surprisingly pleasant, a complete contrast to its owner. It was homely with the essentials and a few personal possessions here and there that added a certain character. The small pool he saw through the double glass door looked especially inviting in the heat and the soft bed in his own room was just waiting for him to rest his weary head.

Leon looked up from the file he was reading. Chris assumed it was their mission brief but he wasn't going to ask.

"As I said, I'm not looking for a friend or a new partner. I like to do things by myself," he mumbled, looking back at the file.

Chris smiled, pushing the file slightly in a playful manner. "I take it that means there isn't a Mrs. Kennedy about then."

"I don't know what your implying there," Leon said, not even bothering to look up this time. He wasn't in the mood for Chris, or any other human, disturbing him.

Chris cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He was what you would call your typical man. There were only a few things going through his mind at any given time and the majority of them were sexual. If any sentence had any sort of sexual connotation, he would point it out and accompany it with a vulgar hand or hip gesture,

"All I'm saying is that you seem like a nice guy and if we're going to be living together for a couple of weeks then we should try to get along."

Leon closed the file promptly. "How exactly do I seem like a nice guy?" He watched Chris shrug and wave his hands in a dismissive fashion. "And a couple of weeks? From what I see here," he gestured at the file, "this will take a couple of days at the most. If you don't piss around or fall and sprain an ankle, we could probably have it done in a few hours."

"I was hoping I could stick around for a while and sightsee…" Chris said in an innocent manner, pushing out his bottom lip. He ignored the spiteful comments. He wasn't going to pick fights with a man who had the power to leave him homeless.

"I seriously hate you already." He got to his feet, walking over to the kitchen counter and taking a biscuit from a box on the side. "This is just a paycheque for me," he said, biting into the biscuit.

Chris scoffed. "At least we have one thing in common then." He stared at the bowl of fruit on the table, noticing how ripe and delicious it looked. "I forgot to mention that my bag was incinerated. Blown up. Set on fire. I don't know. It's gone though and I need toiletries and clothes and all that jazz."

Leon stared at Chris in disbelief. He didn't even know the man or anything about him and he already had very low expectations of him.

"If you write a list, I'll pick you some things up. I have to buy some things for myself as it is," he said as he walked away, still munching on the biscuit. He had concluded that it was probably better to never ask questions about anything Chris did. The answers would only kill off valuable brain cells.

Chris watched as Leon left the room before he took hold of an apple. He took a bite out of it; a small droplet of juice ran down his chin and with the back of hishand, he wiped his mouth. Stubble was already forming on his chin so when he took hold of a pen and paper, he made sure to put a razor and shaving foam at the top of the list.

.

The local supermarket was just around the corner, convenient and reasonably priced but it didn't matter to Leon and he was never one for shopping. It didn't matter if it was for toiletries, clothes, food, furniture or a house. He just disliked it. Luckily, the locals hated him and never engaged in conversation, which was even better since his Italian was lacking.

He picked up the various items, including a bottle of kids cherry hair shampoo that brought a smile to his face, even if he did think it was ridiculous for a fully-grown man to be using fruit scented shampoo.

He soon reached the area where the pregnancy tests were. His eyes shot around the shop floor as he stepped even closer, his hand reaching up towards them before it shifted over near the condoms and tossed a bottle of warming lubricant into the basket.

He had never once stopped to think that the hostile attitude that came from the shop assistant that served him each time could be a result of him, a male and one with such a feminine haircut, buying lubricant. Having come from a rather liberal family and growing up in an easygoing neighbourhood, his sexuality had never been a problem. Although he never disclosed it to anyone unless they asked, it was his main reason for staying distant from partners and it was his main reason for avoiding them altogether.

He wasn't scared of them judging him. He didn't care for what they thought of him, whether it was concerning his sexual preferences, his eating habits or his job. He never cared for what people had to say and because of that, he found it was just easier to distant himself from anyone. It was just simpler.

That didn't mean he was a man without needs. Far from it, he had needs but unlike most, he didn't need the emotional baggage that came with a relationship. He was okay finding a young man in a club and fulfilling his wants in one night.

He let the cashier quickly ring up his items as he stood there, browsing the items. "Cigarettes," he said, pointing to the packets behind the counter, making sure the cashier gave him the same packet that he'd seen Chris take out of his pocket momentarily, a few moments after they had first met.

He wasn't sure if Chris needed any but he didn't want to find out what happened to his new partner when he got a nicotine craving. He had seen people with all sorts of cravings go without their fix and it wasn't pretty.

.

Chris stood outside on the patio, looking up at the high walls around the garden. There was no one looking out of the windows in the surrounding buildings and there were no sunbathers. He glanced down at the crystal clear water, his throat drying up.

It only took a few seconds for him to decide to slowly begin unbuttoning his shirt, stripping the material from his sweaty body before he kicked his boots off. Another glance around and he unbuckled his belt, popping the button open and pulling the fly down. His trousers instantly fell down and with one last look around he hooked his fingers under the elastic of his boxers and tugged them down, pushing all his clothes to one side.

He threw his arms up in the air, his hands meeting to a point as he steadied himself on the edge of the pool. With a flip of his feet and a bending of his knees, his body propelled into the air and in seconds, his naked body was encased in water.

.

Leon struggled with his keys as he balanced the bags on his arms. Within moments, he staggered through the door, dropping the bags on the kitchen table. His ears instantly caught the sound of moving water and without any hesitation; his hand dove into the kitchen drawer and took out a handgun.

He loaded it quickly, throwing himself against the wall nearest the double glass doors. He pushed one open with his foot, immediately noticing the pile of clothes on the floor and then the body underwater.

Before it could fully register with him, the sound of skin gripping metal grabbed his attention. He kept his gun out, pointed at the metal steps out of the pool. He could only watch, frozen as Chris climbed out, water cascading down his naked back and running over his firm buttocks as he placed both feet on the stone steps. He turned around, running his hands through his hair and flexing the muscles all over his body to shed off excess water.

Leon felt a large lump in his throat and he swallowed hard, the gun in his hand shaking slightly. He let his eyes run all over his new partner's body. His firm abs; his bulging biceps; the small trail of hair leading down from his stomach to a patch of denser curls just above his generously sized cock.

It was only then that Chris noticed that Leon was staring at him with a gun pointing in his direction. He jumped back slightly, standing in a defensive stance, clearly not ashamed of his body, as he made no attempt to cover himself.

"What the hell are you doing? I know you might hate me but shooting my balls off will not do anyone any good," Chris stammered, his eyes shifting around and looking for something that could be used as a weapon.

Leon stared at him for a few moments more, his eyes fixated on Chris's golden skin, before shaking his head. He emptied his gun and let his hand fall to his side. "When did I say you could swim in my pool? And naked at that," he asked, still frozen.

Chris shrugged, his entire body still dripping as he moved towards Leon. He rubbed his hands over his chest as he walked, the water spreading over his skin and leaving it glistening. As he reached Leon, he placed a hand on his shoulder in a friendly way.

"I was hot and sweaty and I didn't have any toiletries so I didn't see any point in wasting water by having a shower. Get over it; we're all men here. Just don't go aiming a gun at my balls every again," he said, taking hold of the gun from Leon's grip and walking back in the house, leaving a stunned Leon alone on the patio.

He swallowed hard, his hand still gripping the gun by his side. It would take a while to get that image out of his head. He kept replaying it over and over in his head: Chris pulling himself out of the water and walking in slow motion on a loop. He didn't even want to waste time trying to erase it from his memory. He wanted to cherish it; savour it…even if it did mean that a small blush would creep onto his face every time he looked at his new partner.

* * *

_Now you all have a feel for my writing and you can decide whether you want to stick with me. I actually went to Italy earlier this year and I found the supermarkets impossible...okay, it was because I didn't realise there was an upstairs to the shop. I'm actually well into writing the next chapter so keep your eyes peeled for an update. Reviews are nice but I know some of you are shy and scared of me because clearly, I'm horrible. Also, does anyone know how to leave a few lines between paragraphs? I tried but it reformats it back so I've had to put a dot between. Anyone know how to solve this? _


	3. Chapter 3

_I'd like to take a small moment to thank everyone who has reviewed. I appreciate the time you took to send me a little note saying you like it. Manners are important in life thank you again. Sorry if I responded to your review twice, I'm an idiot when it comes to things like this._

_I've noticed that these days, italics are all the rage when it comes to writing down people's thoughts. I don't do that very in stories but it happens with odd remarks. Also, even though I mention Wesker for a moment in this chapter, he won't be showing up (even though I adore him, I just wouldn't be able to introduce him without slashing him with Chris straight away)._

* * *

Chapter Three

By the time dinner rolled around, Leon still felt uncomfortable. Chris however, was oblivious to any problems Leon had as he shovelled the fresh lasagne into his mouth and chomped on it, his mouth slightly open.

"Look, about this afternoon," Leon began, shifting the food around on his plate. He couldn't get Chris's body out of his head and it was making him feel uneasy to be in his presence.

"What about it?" Chris said, swallowing the mouthful of food he had in his mouth. "I'm sorry I didn't ask you, I just figured you'd be cool with it. After all, I didn't want to borrow your swimming trunks or anything." He took hold of his napkin and wiped his mouth, licking his teeth and burping quietly. "I mean, if I put my dick in your trunks, it's almost like we fucked and I don't know about you but I don't swing that way."

Leon snapped his gaze down at his food. That wasn't the first time he'd heard such a thing. He never classed such comments as homophobia, after all he rarely disclosed his sexuality and he doubted people could guess just by looking at them. He didn't believe in 'gaydar'. "Well, I…" He started, only to be cut off.

"It's not like I have anything against gays. My old captain was clearly one, even though he never came out and said it," Chris said, nodding as he spoke. "Am I saying I would never fuck a guy? Nah, I probably would if they all looked like Wesker…" He said, looking off into the distance with a look of longing in his eyes.

"Wesker?" Leon asked. He had learnt that keeping conversation on other people would keep it away from him, although he disliked the way this was going.

"My old captain. Don't you listen?" Chris snapped, frowning. "Anyway, I'm just saying I prefer the ladies. Anyway, I don't think men would want me. I drink beer, I smoke like a chimney and I smell really bad." He said with a grin, taking a sip from his glass of water.

"I don't think you smell bad," Leon pointed out, prodding his fork into his food and taking a bite. "And some men are attracted to that sort of thing."

Chris laughed, moving his chair out a little and swinging his legs up onto the table, narrowly avoiding his plate. "Wesker wasn't. Neither was Jill but that's a whole different kettle of fish," he laughed again, taking his cigarettes out of his pocket. "I talk a lot, if you hadn't guessed." He placed a cigarette between his lips and flipped his lighter open. "We all have our gay moments in life. Most have it during college but I never went. Straight into the army, if you know what I mean. I didn't get it during my time there, that would be way too clichéd for my liking. No, my dick waited until I was pent up in a mansion to get all hard for a man."

Sadly for Leon, he gathered what Chris did indeed mean but he wasn't sure exactly what he was getting at. Was he trying to tell Leon he was gay? Or just gay for one man? Either way, he didn't want to ask about it and he didn't actually care.

Despite his own sexual preferences, he couldn't live up to the stereotypical roles that society had forced upon him. He didn't care for gossip or margaritas. He liked the smell of a gun and the purr of an engine. It just so happened that he liked large appendages in the trouser region than the chest.

"Anyway, what about you? How did you end up here?" Chris asked, taking a drag on his cigarette.

Leon glanced at Chris coldly. "You make it sound like I didn't come here by choice." His voice was low and he showed no hint of elaborating.

"Come on, man. This is like talking to a brick wall," he said with a heavy sigh, flicking the ash from his cigarette onto his food. "We're supposed to be bonding."

"I already told you I'm not in this to make friends or get a new partner. I'm in this for the money and maybe the opportunity to shoot something. That's it," Leon replied, so icily that Chris thought his cigarette was going to go out.

Leon got to his feet, taking hold of his own plate before moving round the table and taking hold of Chris's, stealing his cigarette and putting it out in his food. "Don't smoke in the house." He scraped the food into the bin before placing the dishes in the sink. "I've put your toiletries on your bed in a bag."

Chris lolled his head back, groaning. "What am I supposed to do for clothes?"

"I'm not going to lend you mine, you'd probably rip and stretch them all." He ran his hand through his hair. He didn't actually care what Chris did for clothes; it wasn't his problem. Yet again another reason why he didn't care to have a partner.

"Well, what am I supposed to do then?" Chris whined, trying to turn around in his chair and failing.

Leon sighed. "If you're going for a shower, I will wash them whilst you are in there. They won't be dry until morning." He paused, walking across the room to the stairs and placing his hand on the banister. "You'll have to sleep naked but I'm sure you'll have no problem with that."

"Not one at all," Chris said slyly, grinning over at Leon only to find out he had already ascended the stairs.

.

Chris didn't bother closing his bedroom door when he entered. They were both men and he'd already revealed himself to Leon in his entirety like some middle aged flasher.

He wasn't ashamed of his body but he would hardly describe himself as an exhibitionist. He just enjoyed being free but honestly, the only reason he didn't use any sort of trunks to swim in was because he didn't have any.

_Although_, he thought,_ I could have used my boxers to swim in_.

He shook his head. That was behind him and it wasn't like Leon didn't get a good eyeful. During his time in the forces, he had been congratulated on the size of his manhood many times. Complimented on his firm abs and his bulging biceps. He wasn't even that big during his army days. He had bulked up considerably since he started serving in Special Forces and working his way up. It seemed that with every new job; every new promotion, he gained a number of pounds in muscle. He wasn't complaining though.

He carelessly tipped the contents of the shopping bag onto his bed. At least Leon was capable of following a list. He would put his new partner on map reading duty when the time came.

He inspected the items momentarily, smiling as he raised the bottle of shampoo to his nose. He didn't care what anyone said; kids shampoo smelt the best and left his hair feeling soft. He glanced at the hair gel, the body wash and the razor before gathering up the items in his arms.

It was only then that he noticed an item he didn't ask for on his list. He dropped the items again, this time picking up the strange bottle and regarding it for a moment.

As soon as he realised what it was, he held it out in front of him, grinning like a madman. "Leon, that sly dog. He's into doing dirty stuff," he sniggered, running over to the door and peeping out. He could see his new partner staring at a framed picture, trying to level it.

"I wouldn't have expected that. Him doing girls the dirty way," he muttered to himself, cocking an eyebrow as he watched Leon place a hand on his hip and tilt his head. "Unless…" He went silent for a moment, standing up straight and breaking into a cold sweat.

"Oh shit," he said, ducking down onto the floor and crawling into the hallway, kneeling behind a side table. He nervously eyed up Leon. Could it be that Leon was not into women? Chris shook his head. Impossible. He didn't pick up any signs that would suggest that.

"Chris, do you want something?" Leon asked, not looking away from picture.

Chris stood up quickly, banging his knee on the table and yelping in pain. His hands immediately went to his knee, rubbing it frantically.

"Again, do you want something? There are fresh towels in the bathroom," Leon spoke harshly, his eyes still focused on the picture.

"I..." He paused, moving nearer to Leon. "I found this with my things so I," he stared at Leon, his eyes meeting Leon's icy glare. "Thought I would return it to you and…" He stretched out his arm, shoving the bottle into Leon's hand. "And…you know, stuff," he mumbled, unsure of what he was actually saying exactly.

Leon looked down at the object, fighting back any embarrassment as he looked back at Chris. "Do you want anything else?" He asked, trying to keep his cool composure.

Chris regarded his new partner for a moment before sighing. He doubted that even with a flamethrower, he would be unable to warm Leon up. He seemed to uncaring and he was starting to wonder if he would even be safe having Leon as his partner. It was always good to have someone with a sense of humanity and Leon appeared to lack any.

"I guess not," Chris said finally. "I'll leave you with your picture then."

"Just leave your clothes outside your room in a small heap," Leon spoke softly and as soon as Chris was by his bedroom door, he heard Leon finish his sentence with: "I'm sure that's not an alien concept to someone like yourself."

.

Leon spent a number of minutes just staring at the picture on the wall. He hated it when something was out of place and he wasn't sure how it had tilted in the first place. Maybe he had slammed someone against it in the heat of passion or perhaps it was he who crashed against it under the force of another man. He couldn't remember.

He fingered the bottle he had placed in his pocket. There was no doubt that Chris knew about him now. Either he thought he was a homosexual or he thought he was some lewd sexual deviant when it came to women. He wasn't sure which was worse right now.

Chris had displayed no hint of aggression towards homosexuals as of yet; he had even gone as far as to say he liked a man once. That didn't actually mean anything. He wasn't sure what had brought on the conversation earlier, he couldn't remember, not that he cared to.

He turned around and walked to Chris' door, noticing it was slightly ajar as he bent down and collected the clothes. Within his eyesight was the en-suite and its door, which not surprisingly was also open. He had worked out that Chris was clearly not a private man and he himself valued his privacy.

His eyes widened as he once again clearly saw a drenched Chris. He could see the water cascading down his back, drizzling through the hardened muscles on his back. The white foam from his shampoo dripped down onto the shower floor and Leon instantly felt a stirring in his trousers.

"Oh god no," he muttered, grabbing the clothes and rushing down the hallway. He jogged down the stairs, hurrying to the washing machine and shoving the clothes in roughly. As he added fabric softener and powder, he shifted uncomfortably, adjusting his erection in his trousers.

He wouldn't allow himself develop any sort of feelings for his new partner; whether they are simply sexual or deeply emotional. He couldn't allow any of them to overtake him. They would cloud his judgement should the time come for decision-making. They would distract him and only lead to complications.

He turned the washing machine on, taking a seat at the dining room table and ignoring his arousal. He was better than this. He wasn't some horny teenager. He could handle a simple unwarranted erection. He could will it away and if he couldn't, he could always shoot himself in the foot.

.

Chris grabbed a towel from the rail, dabbing his body with the soft fabric before wrapping it loosely around his waist. His body ached from the long day and he was actually excited about getting into bed. The only time he was ever excited about getting into bed was when there was someone else in it but right now, he just wanted to be alone. He wanted to wrap himself in the thick duvet and just fall asleep for as many hours as Leon would allow.

He smiled, walking into his room and instantly noticing his pile of dirty clothes had disappeared. He still felt slightly awkward over what had occurred now he could reflect on what he had said. He didn't know if he had offended Leon in any way and he probably would never find out.

He glanced over at the mirror, admiring his sun-kissed body in the reflection. He flexed his muscles before stroking his stomach for a moment. He couldn't blame Leon if he was attracted to him. _After all_, he thought, smirking as he circled his navel with his finger,_ I'd be attracted to me if I was a guy._

He laughed softly, pulling the covers on his bed back, letting his towel fall to the ground as he climbed in. The sheets felt soft against his skin and he took in deep breaths of relaxation, the smell of lavender filling his head. His body fell into the mattress, at ease instantly and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was asleep.

* * *

_Thank you for reading this update. The next chapter will be posted as soon as I've finished it but I'm a pretty busy person. Anyway, keep an eye out for the next chapter._ _I feel that I've established their characters well enought so let us get to some action...of the shooting kind. _


	4. Chapter 4

_a/n: Thank you to all that have reviewed so far! Whenever I sit down to write this fic, I always get distracted and end up starting little Wesker/Chris fics. Anyway, disclaimer remains the same. Don't own the characters because if I did, the game Resident Evil: Code Rainbow would have been released by now. _

* * *

Chapter Four

Chris awoke, warm from the rays of sunlight leaking through the blind in his bedroom. It was a pleasant day from what he could tell and he felt extremely sexy having slept naked but such thoughts were for another time.

Grabbing a discarded towel from the night before, he left the room, wrapping it around his waist as he moved.

It took him a while to realise that he was alone, unsure as to where his partner had gone but not really caring. He was glad to have a moment alone. Leon could still be in bed but Chris assumed he was running errands. He didn't seem like the kind of man to sleep in.

A slight ruffling outside caught his attention and he quickly noticed his clothes on the washing line. Either they were drying or not even washing them had got rid of the smells he was emitting. Either way, he didn't doubt Leon's cleaning abilities.

He padded towards the kitchen, yawning and scratching his stomach at the same time. He didn't know what time it was but judging by the sun's position in the sky, he had guessed nearly midday. He was trained to notice such things but it was all second nature to him by now.

Arriving at the kitchen counter, he grabbed a box of cereal left out on the side, along with a bowl and a spoon. He never really understood cereal. Wet food and such but still, he added milk without hesitation and took the food to the table.

Normally, he would read a local newspaper of watch TV whilst eating breakfast but he couldn't read Italian and Leon's TV looked as if it hadn't been touched in years. There was a visible layer of dust on the screen, which made Chris wonder exactly what Leon did in his free time, although due to certain revelations yesterday, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

Whilst munching on the cereal, he heard the door open and his instincts kicked in. He instantly jumped to his feet, grabbing the nearest weapon and aiming it at Leon as he entered.

"Oh you're up," Leon mumbled, throwing his keys onto the table. "And trying to kill me with a banana…you are a special one," he said blandly, his words weighed down with sarcasm."

Chris looked down at the alleged weapon he had picked up and it was indeed a banana. He discarded it quickly before taking his seat again, hiding his embarrassment by hanging his head. He continued to scoop the soggy cereal into his mouth, watching Leon's movements out of the corner of his eye.

"What've you got there?" He asked with his mouth full, spraying a small amount of milk onto the table before him.

"I bought you some clothes. I don't have the time or the patience to take you shopping. The only thing I didn't buy you was a pair of shoes, but I assume the ones you arrived in will do for the duration of your stay," Leon replied in his usual cool tone, placing a cup below his coffee machine and starting it up.

"How did you know my size?"

"I guessed," Leon murmured, watching the liquid fill his cup.

"Really?" Chris remarked, surprised. He turned around in his chair, his legs spread apart in a typical manner for a man, only most men only do this when they're wearing trousers. Chris, however, was still only wearing a towel. "They probably won't fit then. I'm much bigger than people think, y'know?"

Leon sighed, taking hold of his cup and walking to the table, trying to keep his eyes off his partner's body and stance. "I just looked at your clothes…the ones I washed. They said your size in them. As I said before, I don't have any desires to go on a male bonding shopping trip."

Chris shovelled another spoonful of cereal in his mouth, looking at Leon. He was simply sipping on his coffee, showing no expression at all. "Y'know, for a…" He stopped immediately, noticing Leon had stopped drinking and was now simply staring at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"For a…?" Leon urged, placing his cup down.

Chris chuckled uneasily, stirring his food. "I was going to say for a guy living in such a beautiful place, you sure are angry and uptight."

Leon gave him a look of disbelief and shrugged. If Chris wasn't going to joke or mention his sexuality then he wasn't going to bring it up any time soon.

"You didn't buy me anything feminine, did you?" He asked without thinking. As soon as he'd said it, he wanted to drown himself in his bowl of cereal. He wasn't intentionally trying to piss Leon off; it just so happened that these were things he would normally say. In a joking way with his friends but none of his friends were gay so he knew he didn't have to mind his tongue.

"Why would I do that?" Leon asked, taking another sip of coffee. "I'm a man and you are also a man. Why would I buy you something girly when you clearly aren't a woman or even remotely similar to one?" He placed his cup down.

"I just meant like…nothing silly and frilly."

Leon stood up, grabbing the bags and emptying them on the table in front of Chris, the garments narrowly avoiding Chris's bowl of cereal. "I hope they aren't too gay for you," Leon snapped, grabbing his cup of coffee and throwing it into the sink with little grace. "After all, I wouldn't want your homophobic ass being mistaken for one of my own people," he said with a raised voice, storming out of the room.

Chris stared at the far wall in disbelief, his cereal falling from his spoon and landing with a splash in his bowl.

"Great, he muttered, poking the clothes with the other end of the spoon. "This is going to be a great mission."

--

Leon had a phone to his ear, listening to the ringing sound and waiting for his boss to pick up. He couldn't handle a partner and he wasn't sure why he even accepted it. He should have protested from the start, instead of leaving it for a day.

"Hello?" He shouted into the phone, hearing a grunt on the receiver. "Look, I need you to get rid of this Redfield guy. He's has the worst manners in the world, he's lazy, incompetent, offensive and…" he let his voice trail off, deciding to leave his partner's nudist ways out of the conversation.

"Kennedy…don't worry about it. I'll pay you double."

"It's not about the mon-" his boss laughing cut him off.

"I'll pay you triple. I have enough problems of my own. I have a wife who's cheating on me, a second mortgage and a prostate the size of a basketball. I'm sure you can sort this out by yourself. Grow a pair and show him who's the better man."

Before Leon could even respond, the boss had slammed the phone down and all he could hear was a slight ringing in his right ear. His boss wasn't known for his patience or tolerance and he couldn't help but admire such a quality. However, in this situation, such a trait was a pain in the ass.

"God," he muttered, throwing his phone onto the dresser. "Why must you curse me with an incredibly sexy man that is straight, rude, crude and lewd." He laughed, running his hand through his hair as he walked over to his door and flung it open. "He's probably retarded too, all that muscle. Then there are his bad habits like his smoking. Probably an alcoholic. Not to mention his penchant for walking around with his dick hanging o…" His voice trailed off as he noticed a now fully clothed Chris stood in front of him, his hand raised in a fist.

"I was just coming to apologise," Chris said, lowing his hand and smiling. "I mean, I don't know exactly what I said wrong but I'm very thankful that you're letting me stay here and you bought me all this stuff." He paused, rubbing his neck with his hand. "I'll just stay out of your way until the mission and as soon as we're done with that, I'll leave."

Leon stepped forward, closing the door behind him. "Were you eavesdropping on me?"

Chris jumped back slightly, waving his arms. "No no no no," he paused for a moment, raising his hand and pinching his fingers together. "Maybe a little."

"You really are unbelievable," Leon snapped, walking past Chris and shoving him slightly. Although he did notice that Chris had chosen some of the new clothes instead of the old, clean ones from the line. He had to admit, he did look just as good fully dressed. "What did you hear?" He asked, signalling for Chris to follow.

"Basically that you hate me." He almost stumbled over himself as he caught up with Leon, relaxing instantly the moment he had. He stretched his arms behind his head, smiling. "And than you think I'm sexy."

Leon blushed slightly, avoiding eye contact. "Did you also hear me calling you a pig?"

"You didn't use that word," he slurred, walking closer to Leon and rubbing his side against him as they walked. "You think I'm hot shit."

"Shut up."

Chris smirked, turning around and moving in front of Leon, walking backwards as Leon moved forward. "I think it's nice to know that you're not just a giant ice cube. I was considering getting a hairdryer out and heating you up."

"I doubt you know how to use one of those," Leon remarked, glaring at Chris.

"Who, ice beams coming from your eyes there," Chris joked, still walking backwards. "I know you're probably thinking that I might be anti-gay or whatever, but I assure you I'm not. It's got nothing to do with me who or what you bone and it doesn't mean I don't respect you as an agent or anything like that."

Leon watched Chris continue backwards and before he could even attempt to warn him, Chris stumbled back and disappeared down the stairs. From what Leon had heard, Chris had hit the majority of steps on his way down.

He edged himself closer to the stairs, looking down at the lump that was his partner. Amazingly, to the shock of Leon, Chris managed to jump back off, shaking his body momentarily before grinning.

"Could you just maybe try to be my friend here?" Chris shouted, brushing his clothes off.

Leon regarded him for a moment, sighing heavily. "If you eavesdrop on me or imply that I'm a pansy in any way again, you'll be out on your ass before you can even say sorry."

"Gotcha," Chris replied with a wink, placing his hands on his hips and laughing.

--

"So I go and say to her that I just don't feel comfortable with her dating guys whilst she's under my roof," Chris rambled on, waving his hands in the air as they both rode in the back of a chauffer driven jeep. "And she then tells me that it's okay because she won't be living under my roof for much longer!"

Leon rested his arm on the back of his seat, looking over at Chris as he spoke. He had been talking about his sister since he had left the house and he was fed up of hearing about her. From what he had heard, it seemed perfectly acceptable that a woman of her age would wish to live on her own after so long.

"I don't know, I've never met the guy she's allegedly head over heels in love with. He doesn't sound good though. He's an accountant…I mean, seriously?" He quirked an eyebrow, leaning over slightly. "An accountant. I thought my sister had taste."

"Well, at least accountants aren't known for their rampant sex drive," Leon commented, looking over his shoulder. They had left the populated area of Rome a while back and were now travelling on a dodgy looking road in the middle of nowhere.

Chris regarded Leon for a moment before shrugging. "Really, I don't want to think about that. As far as I'm concerned, she's still a virgin."

"That's real mature. I'm sure she thinks the exact same about you," Leon stated sarcastically.

"Nah, she's walked in on me getting down and dirty more than once," he said with a smirk. "Actually, this one time I was banging this chick on the kitchen counter and she just waltzed in and made a sandwich," he laughed, not noticing how uncomfortable Leon looked. "I was like, ball deep in this floozy, limbs flailing everywhere and there Claire was, just making this bacon sandwich. Looked like a damn fine sandwich too."

Leon shifted slightly, grabbing onto the metal bars above them as the car came to a sudden stop. He glanced over at Chris, flicking his head to one side before pulling himself up and jumping off the back of the jeep.

He watched as Chris followed suite, landing with little grace. It was now that Leon noticed how tight the clothes he had bought him were. The sleeves of the shirt cut into his arms, his muscles bulging from below the hem and the fabric on his front was so tight he could see the outline of his defined abs.

The sound of a box slamming onto the ground drew his attention back to the current situation. He watched as Chris simply kicked the box open and withdrew a multitude of weapons, assigning them to various parts of his body.

"Lock and load, baby," Chris grinned, shoving a magazine into his handgun and sliding it into his holster.

Leon shook his head, taking a map and a compass out of his pocket. "There's an abandoned underground military facility just to the north of here. Allegedly, some kids from a local farm were messing around down there and got hold of some of the left over explosives and blew a hole in the wall."

"And how is this our problem?"

"I'm getting to that," Leon snapped, glaring at his partner. "After an investigation, turns out a load of historical artefacts were discovered. The usual; bones, gems, pottery."

"So where do we come into this?" Chris squatted down, flipping open another case. This time, he pulled out several pieces, slotting them together with haste before he attached a strap to the weapon and swung it round onto his back.

"One of their researchers supposedly went missing. That and a number of the other historians have been hearing and seeing things down there," Leon said nonchalantly, shoving the map back in his pocket.

Chris nodded, looking at Leon as he collected a few weapons and first aid kits from the box and stood up again. He hadn't known they were going to be coming out today but it didn't bother him. The sooner the work is done, the more time for leisure. However, there would only be time for leisure if Leon didn't kick him as soon as they'd finished the mission.

However, since Leon had called him sexy earlier and now Chris had confirmed his partner's sexuality, he was confident that he wouldn't want to get rid of Chris anytime soon. He knew he wasn't gay but he was sure he could charm Leon into letting him stay. He may not be the most tactful creature but he had the gift of the gab.

"You coming?" Leon yelled, snapping Chris out of his thoughts and signalling him to follow.

"Yeah, be right with you," Chris shouted back, nodding to the driver as he walked away. "Partner…" he muttered, catching up with Leon and smiling before they both found the open hatch for the facility and jumped down.

* * *

_a/n: the jeep mentioned in this fic is one of those older ones with the open backs...not the ones you're probably used to seeing. Reviews are nice but I know some of you are shy (although the fact that someone called shyanon reviews amuses the hell out of me). More soon so keep your eyes peeled although I'm sure the majority of you have this added on story alert...and I also hate the new system for responding to reviews. I get confused so easily.  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Usual disclaimer applies. Sorry for the wait but I deleted this chapter from my laptop when I was doing a bit of spring cleaning and I've been just too swamped to rewrite it until recently. _

* * *

Chapter Five

There wasn't much to the underground bunker. Metal walls lined the cave and dust coated the furniture within. There were few items of use, mind a few boxes of ammo and some scattered documentation. However, there was little to imply that any life forms had been inside for a long time. The whole place smelt stale.

Leon walked ahead of Chris, the map in one hand and a torch in the other. The place still had running electricity but many of the lights were faulty and he needed a constant source of light.

"So how far are we going?" Chris asked, looking down each corridor as they passed it, aiming into the darkness with his handgun.

"We just follow this main hallway. There should be a ladder down and then it's a simple matter of 'spot the gigantic hole in the wall'," Leon said, humour in his voice yet both of them failed to laugh or even show a hint of amusement.

Despite the fact they were underground and the weather was hot outside, there was a cold breeze within the facility. If Chris didn't know better, he'd have thought it was winter or that they were approaching Antarctica. In theory, they were travelling towards somewhere but he wasn't sure if it was full of penguins, polar bears or mutants.

Chris continued walking behind Leon, unsure as to whether a casual conversation would be allowed or not. He looked around, noticing a sudden change in the colours of the walls and an even further dip in the temperature.

"There's a ladder here," Leon mumbled, flashing the light down into the hole. "Looks pretty deep."

Chris jogged towards Leon, having stayed back to investigate the last few corridors before the apparent dead end. He could sense something was wrong; out of place, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"I'll go first," he said, attempting to barge past Leon only to have a hand forcefully shove him back.

"No, I will. You follow directly a few rungs above me."

Chris bit his tongue, fighting back the urge to make a comment about Leon checking out his backside. It wouldn't be fun being stuck down in a bunker with an even moodier Leon so he merely stood aside as his partner began descending on the ladder.

He followed suit, uncomfortable with every move he made. He couldn't see if Leon was checking him out or not, not that it bothered him too much. He enjoyed being appreciated. It was just that nagging in the back of his mind that told him he shouldn't provoke a man in anyway unless he was willing to follow through.

That was something he had no intentions of doing.

"You might want to watch out, seems to be getting slippery down here."

The further decrease in temperature hadn't gone unnoticed by Chris but hat didn't stop the events from unravelling like they did.

"I'm fine, my shoes have non-slip soles and th-" he was cut off as his foot slipped down, hitting Leon squarely in the face and instinctively, his hands immediately let go of the ladder to assist his partner. Before either of them could do anything, they were falling towards the ground, both trying to grab onto the ladder and failing miserably as they came into contact with the floor.

.

Chris had landed on top of Leon, his thighs on either side of his partner's chest, his back on Leon's lower half, his head between legs and his other limbs sprawled out.

He groaned loudly, not even having a chance to compose himself as he was roughly shoved off his partner and onto his stomach. The floor was frozen solid, an unwelcoming sensation after having fallen several metres down a ladder.

"You okay?" Chris asked, trying to move but giving up instantly. His bones ached and his body didn't want to move, even if it did mean getting frozen.

Leon brushed off his clothes (and Chris's question) coolly and moved over to the walls, running his hand along the ice on the walls. "I wonder if this is really ice," he murmured, taking his gun out and tapping the frozen walls.

Chris let his eyes gaze around his surroundings, locating his handgun and other weapons that had fallen from his various holsters as he fell. He felt like an idiot. He was in his thirties, had extensive military and special ops training and he managed to fall on a slippery ladder.

He scrambled to his feet, grabbing onto the ladder for support. He doubted that Leon was the kind of guy to remember such things in a humorous manner and he was sure that he would continue to make digs about it for the rest of his stay.

"Well, it's fucking freezing and this shit is very slippery so I think it really is ice," Chris said with a certain bitterness in his voice. "No wondering about it."

Leon snapped around with ease, his feet turning without slipping. He simply regarded Chris for a moment and without speaking, he withdrew his gun and rested his torch on top. He glanced at Chris again before walking down the only corridor available.

.

The crackle of the radio caught the attention of the pale man sat at the desk. He pressed a button, leaning in and listening to the faint voice on the other end.

"They've reached their destination. Shall I leave now?"

The man looked through the window behind him, his eyes on his large boss, puffing on a cigar and drinking a glass of whiskey.

"Yes, leave and report back to headquarters. You've fulfilled the requirements of the job."

"What about the two men? Will they be okay down there? I think I heard something…"

"You don't need to worry about them. They'll find their way back on way or another," the man said before he cut off the radio. "Even if it is in two body bags."

.

Chris had followed Leon, making sure to stay a few steps back and keeping his red face bowed. He had been trying to think of something mildly intelligent to say in an attempt to redeem himself but his brain was failing him. He found it hard to talk about intellectual things in any situation but under pressure like this, it was almost impossible. He wasn't known to be an academic.

"So, how you finding the pizza here?" He asked, mentally slapping his head as he spoke.

Leon stopped suddenly, flinching as Chris banging into him. "Shut up," he muttered, tilting his head to the side as they stood before a large metal door. He crouched down, shining the light at the base of the door.

"Whoa, big door." Chris moved over to the side, eyeing up a keypad. "So much for gigantic hole in the wall…" He tilted his head at the keypad, his tongue darting out of his mouth and moistening his lips as he thought.

"Don't touch that," Leon hissed, inspecting a strange liquid smeared across the door and floor.

Chris scoffed, running his finger around the security lock. He may be slightly clumsy but when it came to technology like this, he was a wiz. He could override the system in a moment.

He quickly whipped out a small device from his pocket, drawing out a small cable and gently pushing it into the side. If he could do this right, it might raise Leon's expectations of him and redeem himself from earlier events.

Within moments, he had three of the four digits figured out and the small computer was working away at the fourth. He glanced down at Leon, who was still silently inspecting the ground further down the corridor. He was about to question what his partner was doing when the system pinged and a female voice confirmed the code and the words "Access Granted" rang out through the hallway.

"What the hell have you done?" Leon shouted, from his position, scrambling to his feet.

Before Chris could even answer, the door shot open and icy fog escaped, shrouding them both in mist.

"I just opened the door and," Chris laughed only to be cut off by a loud shrieking sound. He immediately reached for his gun, dropping the small device in the panic.

"Chris! Get back!" Leon yelled through the mist.

However, it was too late. Blinded by the fog, Chris hadn't seen anything coming towards him and by the time he had, it was too near him.

A large snarling monster lumbered towards him, a trail of blood and saliva hanging from its mouth as it jumped into the air, bringing its hand down onto Chris and piercing his thigh with its talons. It gripped him, raising him in the air as it flung him down the corridor.

"Chris!" Leon shouted again, running through the fog. He couldn't fire his weapon until he knew Chris was safe.

Chris gasped loudly, clutching his leg. "I'm okay. Just shoot that motherfucker!"

Leon sucked his lip into his mouth. He didn't like the situation but if Chris was telling him to shoot, he would logically be out of harms way. He clutched his weapon tightly, aiming into the white distance as he gently pulled the trigger three times, listening to the cries of agony from what he hoped was the monster that had attacked Chris.

He stopped for a moment, the whimpering of the animal filling the hallway. He watched as the fog eased up and Chris came into view.

"We aren't prepared for this," he said flatly, ignoring the multitude of weapons Chris was graced with. Truth be told, he could probably take on anything with the arsenal of firearms his partner had but now said partner was injured and he didn't want to be responsible for anything that could happen to him. "Let's get you out of here."

"I'm fine," Chris stuttered, gesturing to his leg, which was far from okay.

Leon sighed deeply, flipping his hair back as he placed his handgun back in his holster. He moved closer to Chris, bending down with his back facing his partner. "Get on."

Chris laughed, pushing Leon slightly. "You've got to be kidding me. I weigh twice as much as you do, and that would be on a good day!"

"Just get on me," Leon replied through gritted teeth. His urgency wasn't unwarranted however. The familiar sound of snarling urged Chris onto Leon's back in a flash.

He staggered under the sudden weight, struggling to his feet. Chris was probably the heaviest person he had lifted. He was used to picking up slim, petite women and this was a challenge. Luckily for Chris, he was never one to back down from a challenge.

He glanced over his shoulder, the fog now completely gone. His eyes immediately fell onto the large reptile-like animal. He'd never seen something like it before in his life. Its skin was covered with blood red scales (or perhaps they were once a normal colour and were just stained, Leon couldn't be sure and he was damn well not going to get up close enough to find out).

"Chris, I'm going to need for you to watch that thing. It shouldn't be able to climb ladders with those claws," he said, gesturing to the large hands, adored with thick, sharp talons.

Chris grunted slightly, wrapping his arms tighter around Leon's body, holding on as Leon started moving forward at a fast pace. With every step, he felt a sharp pain in his thigh, the blood spewing from the wound like a fountain.

"He's gaining on us," Chris shouted as he watched the monster pound through the hallways, the walls shaking as he bashed into them with each stride. He disliked the fact that his life was now in Leon's hands, however, he knew that without Leon, he wouldn't have a life at all.

"Well, I can only run so fast," Leon lied as he picked up the pace and shifting Chris's weight more evenly onto his hips.

Chris reached down into his holster, pulling out his handgun and firing into the distance with little aim. He just needed to stall the monster for now.

Leon slowed down as soon as they came to the ladder, the ice still thick on the floor.

"Hold on or you'll become a lunchtime special in no time," he mumbled, pulling himself up onto the ladder with difficulty. Chris's arms were around his neck and he was finding it increasingly difficult to breath but the thought of teeth ripping into his body was less appealing than lack of oxygen for a few moments.

As he climbed, all he could hear was Chris's heaving breathing in his ear; his hot breath on his neck and his feint moans. He knew Chris was in agony but he couldn't stop his mind from drifting to other things. He was also well aware of how close the monster was but still, he was breaking out in a hot flush, his body reacting to Chris's hard body pressed into his.

He blinked hard, reaching up for another rung. It wasn't the time or the place for such things and he didn't want to deal with the repercussions that came from thinking such thoughts.

"Can you pull yourself up?" Leon asked, nearing the top of the ladder.

Chris nodded, cursing under his breath as he lugged his whole body over Leon, grabbing onto the ladder and pulling himself up to safety. Once up, he pulled out his handgun and leaned over the side, watching as the monster attempted to scale the walls.

He fired downwards, the monster shrieking as each bullet penetrated its skin. Rivulets of blood squirted from its body as it continued to move. It slipped and slid against the walls, grabbing onto the ladder as it howled in pain.

Chris's eyes went wide, watching as the ladder shook, the bolts coming loose. He discarded his gun quickly, his reactions lightning fast as he grabbed onto Leon's hand in the nick of time before the ladder collapsed and fell onto the monster.

Looking down and grinning, he pulled Leon up. He watched as his partner pulled out a small hand grenade and ripped the pin out with his teeth before discarding it into the hole.

They faced each other, a look passing between them that said 'we're even now'.

* * *

_So I'm a bit miffed off that I deleted my first draft but I'm sure we'll all survive. When rewriting it, I was trying to remember what I wrote exactly but being as this chapter came in at under 3000 words, I've definately missed something out that I did before but I'm sure I'll remember it and be able to slot it back in at a later date, being as this is just the start of it all. Also, I've realised how hilarious the words rung, talon and holster are. And as I've pointed out to my reviewers so far, I respond to reviews around the same time as I post so don't think I'm ignorant if I don't reply for a while! It just helps me keep track of it all._

_But now that Chris is injured, bring on nurse Leon (oh I jest, but in all seriousness, that is something I would love to write)  
_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Yeah, I'm shit, i know. But honestly, I've been at a music fesitval (where I took some time out to write a little bit of the next chapter whilst listening to some crap band called Buckcherry) and I've had a lot on my plate. You know what they say, the best fanfic writers have lives...well, turns out this pretty rubbish one does too. I should warn you before you read this that this chapter seems to be like an old car. It stops and starts a lot and then speeds up before just coming to a hault. I was staring at it, trying to make it all gel together and failing. What can I say, I suck big time. Oh, and thank you for the lovely reviews! Including a couple of anon ones, I can't send you a message so thanks for giving the hint for me to get my arse into gear.  
_

* * *

Chapter six

"It looks pretty bad," Leon mumbled, inspecting the wound on Chris's leg. The monster's claw had pierced the skin and ripped it downwards. The deep wound oozed blood and Leon wasn't sure if it would require stitches. He never paid attention during medic training.

He drew out his knife, taking off his jacket and cutting a strip of fabric from it. Without warning, he wrapped it around Chris's calf tightly and knotted it, ignoring the cries of pain from his partner. There was nothing he could do for him down here.

"We've got to get out of here," he said, standing up and offering his hand to Chris. "There's a first aid kit in the car." He pulled Chris to his feet and allowed him to rest his body weight on him as they moved towards the exit, Chris limping and laughing, at what Leon assumed was his own stupidity.

-

Chris was still laughing as the exited the underground bunker, however it was now due to their situation. Leon, on the other hand, was less amused.

"I'm glad you find this funny," he exasperated, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, it is a little bit funny."

"I fail to see how it is remotely funny."

"I'm sure you fail to see how anything is funny," Chris replied, slumping onto the ground and poking at his wound.

He was unfazed by the fact their car was no longer there. Maybe he was getting delirious; after all, he had lost a lot of blood. He watched Leon pace frantically, causing small tornados of dust in his wake. It was making him dizzy and incredibly nauseous.

"So do you like…just never show any emotion?" He asked, taking out his knife and picking his nails with the tip. "I mean, apart from anger and boredom."

Leon ignored him, looking up at the sky and back at his watch. It was getting late and the sun was going down too quickly for his liking. There could be more of those things and he wasn't sure if there was another exit to the bunker.

He squinted into the distance, the sound of crunching rocks directing his eyes to see a small vehicle in the distance.

"Hey, I think they might have come back for us. Must have gone to get something to eat or something," Leon mumbled, walking over to his partner and looking down. "You're a mess."

"Does that mean I can't go to the ball? Oh whatever shall I do!" Chris remarked sarcastically to an angry Leon.

He regarded Leon for a moment, letting his eyes drift off to the background before bowing his head. His eyesight must have been better than Leon's because the vehicle he could see in the distance was not the one they had arrived it. It was probably a pickup truck from a local farm.

Leon turned away from Chris and ran into the road, throwing his hands up in the air to stop the vehicle. Slowly, it came to a rough stop a few metres from his body and like Chris had already deducted, it wasn't their car or their driver.

He walked up beside the window, putting on a serious face. "English?" He asked, staring at the middle aged man inside the car. He responded with a shrug and raised his hand nodding, motioning that he understood.

"Are you going near Barberini?" He asked, receiving a nod from the driver. "Mind if we hitch a ride on the back?"

"Go on then, hurry." He said with a thick Italian accent.

Leon glanced over at Chris, hoping that miraculously his leg had healed and he wouldn't have to support him again. Sadly, by the way the man was trying (and failing) to get up, it was obvious he would have to lend a hand.

It wasn't that he hated Chris; he just didn't want to like him. He had no intentions of making a new friend from this partnership, but the way that Chris's body pressed into his whenever he assisted him made him want to like Chris and made him want Chris to like him. He wasn't a teenager anymore, he didn't just spring an erection at every slight contact with another man; he could control himself. Well, he thought he could but the distinct rush of arousal he got when he hoisted his partner up the ladder was undeniable and he was starting to doubt if he really had control over his body anymore.

He stretched his hand out, clasping Chris's hand as he took hold, and pulled his partner up, once again feeling the firm body of the other man as he held him close for a moment.

"Come on, we can hitch a ride with this guy."

"Sounds awesome," said Chris, grinning and looking at the vehicle. He doubted it could safely escort the driver, let alone them too but beggars couldn't be choosers, especially when the sun was setting.

He let Leon push him up onto the back of the pick-up truck, ignoring the slip of his partner's hand onto his backside as he scrambled up. If he was going to be nitpicking at every slight touch, he would get nowhere with Leon. He needed his partner to just chill out for a moment and he doubted calling him up on everything would do that.

Leon quickly jumped up, hitting the side of the car as a signal to the driver to continue.

He took a seat across from Chris, resting his back on a bale of hay. He could see that the other man was still in pain, regardless of the ridiculous grin he had plastered on his face. However, there was one more important matter on his mind.

To be left alone, in the middle of nowhere whilst on an assignment made no sense. It wasn't in anyone's best interest to have them hike all the way back to the centre of Rome. It was pointless, and he knew that such a thing was something that the boss loathed.

Unless, he thought, someone knew what was down there and wasn't counting on us seeing the light of day again.

He leaded his head back, the straw poking into his head but he was past caring. His body ached from events of the day.

"You look deep in thought," Chris remarked, tapping Leon slightly with his foot.

Leon regarded him for a moment, a frown on his face. He bit his tongue, forcing himself to not be rude or snappy. "Just thinking about how to write this in a report and how to tell the boss."

"I'll do it if you like," offered Chris, smiling. "I think he already hates me."

Leon shook his head, taking a piece of hay and running it through his fingers. "You just concentrate on healing that leg. I want to get back out here as soon as possible. Whatever is down there could get out and I know it's pretty dead around this area but if that was to get as far as the city centre, there would be chaos."

Chris turned pale at the thought of having to go back there but he said nothing. Instead, he tilted his head back and looked up at the sky, letting the smooth rocking of the car send him drifting off to sleep.

-

As soon as they had arrived back, Leon had set to work on the report. He needed to document all that had happened and make sure he left nothing out. Chris was being unhelpful where that was concerned, more interested in picking his wound and complaining that he couldn't understand the TV.

"Hey, you got some beer or something?" He knew it was a long shot. Leon didn't seem like a drink at all; especially not beer but there was no harm in asking. He needed something to numb the pain in his leg and ease the humiliation that lingered in the air.

Leon looked up from his papers and nodded, his pen hanging out of his mouth. "I have something, but I doubt you should be drinking in your condition.

"What is this something?" Chris asked, ignoring Leon's concern. He wasn't new to the drinking scene and he was no stranger to drinking whilst injured. He still held fond memories of the first time he was shot.

He watched as Leon got to his feet and grabbed a bottle of clear liquid from the side. "Vodka okay?" He asked, grabbing a couple of shot glasses and moving over to the sofa, but not before he turned the heat down on the oven. Something told him they wouldn't be eating for a while.

Chris observed with anticipation as Leon poured two shots and slid one across the coffee table. He wasn't one to take shots. He was more of a 'drink ten cans of beer and eat a cold pizza when you're hung over' kind of guy. From what Chris's senses told him, it wasn't pizza in the oven and he would be having a much more sophisticated cold meal in the morning.

They both downed their shots, Chris wincing as the alcohol burned the back of his throat on its way down. Leon, on the other hand, remained calm and composed as if he had just drank a glass of warm milk.

"Have your expectations of me gone way down now?" Chris asked as Leon was busy pouring two more shots.

Leon knocked back his drink, leaning back in his seat for a moment, shifting uncomfortably before looking Chris straight in the eyes and taking in a deep breath, allowing the alcohol to settle before he opened his mouth. "I didn't have high expectations to begin with. I figured you were all brawn and no brains." He exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "And you proved me right."

Chris hissed as he drank his shot, slightly hurt by Leon's comment. "You really need to cut me some slack. I didn't think we would be going out straight away." He paused, wondering for a moment if Leon would allow him to have a cigarette. It wasn't that it was cold outside; he would just have preferred not to put any pressure on his leg. "I thought we would be briefed better at least, not to mention being given some reinforcements, or at least the option of being able to call some in."

"You have extensive military training. You should be able to act under pressure and make quick decisions." He stopped speaking for a moment, taking his eyes off his new partner. "Also, you should learn to follow simple commands," he added with a hint of spite.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I asked you not to mess with that control panel, yet you went ahead and fucked with it anyway," he said, exhaustion apparent in his voice. He grabbed the bottle and poured two more drinks.

"Well, I was trying to help," Chris said slowly, stopping the shot as it was flung ruthlessly across the table. "You were doing everything and I felt emasculated," he admitted, wondering how many shots he could actually handle. He wasn't one for drinking shots or sprits on their own and he prayed to God that he didn't throw up.

Leon considered what Chris had said for barely a second before he threw it out of the window and knocked back another shot, this time filling his own glass and sliding the bottle over to Chris. It wasn't his intention to get drunk when he left his case file, but it was now.

"I was investigating the floor. You should have gathered that something wasn't right and held back." He was sure his words were going in one ear and out the other with Chris as he observed him taking one shot, followed by another.

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda. S'all in the past now," he slurred, the alcohol catching up with him quicker than he had anticipated. "You should communicate better. It's really not good to keep things bottled up the way you do."

"You've barely known me a day. Don't assume you know anything about me," Leon snapped, snatching the bottle and drinking a mouthful directly from it.

-

It wasn't much later that Leon's mood had lightened and he found himself on the sofa next to Chris, using his coasters and a toy car to demonstrate a previous mission that had gone wrong.

"So I was there, driving this massive heavy goods vehicle through this giant field, desperately trying to avoid the sheep!" He yelled before both of them started howling with laughter, falling onto each other.

They remained in a slump for a moment, wiping the tears from their eyes as the both started forgetting exactly what it was they were laughing at.

"So how's your leg?" Leon asked after a while, sitting up and looking down on his partner.

Chris lolled his head to the side, noticing that the bottle of vodka was almost empty but failing to feel Leon's hand on his thigh. "The alcohol has definitely helped. Are you okay?" He asked, trying to sit up and failing miserably as he underestimated the distance between his hand and the back of the sofa.

"I'm alright, I didn't get hurt," he mumbled, staggering to his feet. "However, I have got this bad itching on my back. It feels really sore. I think I might be allergic to you!" He shouted, even though the room was silent and Chris was a mere foot away from him.

"Turn around and sit on the table, dude," Chris said as he waved his hands, swinging his body around to sit on the edge of the sofa as Leon took a seat in front of him. He reached out, taking hold of the hem of Leon's shirt and lifting it slightly. "Oh ouch," he muttered as he revealed a large red rash on his partner's back, being as careful as possible not to touch the skin.

"What's wrong?" Leon asked, craning his neck around only to see Chris looking intensely at his back. A slight blush dusted his face as he examined the features of his face, unable to stop staring at how inquisitive the man looked.

Chris took in a deep breath, shaking his head. "My diagnosis is that you are allergic to either my supreme manly hotness," he said proudly, gesturing to his body. "Or, you're allergic to hay."

Leon slapped his own head, laughing loudly. Hay had given him a rash since he was a young man and all the commotion that had happened during the day must have caused the fact to slip from his mind. It wasn't a big deal; it wasn't as though he needed medical help (unlike Chris, who had denied any).

He quickly disappeared from the room, leaving Chris alone and very much confused until he returned with a small tube in his hand.

"This may sound really, really weird," he said with difficulty as his tongue seemed to double over on itself. "You wouldn't mind just rubbing a teeny bit of this into my back?" He pushed the tube into Chris's hands, faltering slightly and almost falling straight into his partner's lap.

Chris looked at him for a moment, a goofy smile plastered on his face as he felt warm inside, not from the alcohol but from Leon opening up a little more. Sure, he would probably be an even bigger asshole in the morning but right now, this was a Leon he could really get on board with.

"Sure thing, partner," he said, saluting the air and standing up, gesturing for Leon to spread himself out on the sofa.

He watched as Leon pulled his t-shirt up, getting it caught on his head and running around for a moment before the threw it off completely, stomping on it for good measure. He was always one to give credit where credit was due and he felt an overwhelming urge to congratulate Leon on his body but as he watched his partner dive onto the sofa, he decided not to. He was going to be on top of Leon in a moment, spreading cream into his back. He didn't want to make the situation any more homoerotic than it already was.

Without delay, he clumsily straddled Leon, jabbing the man beneath several times with his knees, causing them both to cackle like hyenas.

Chris could honestly not remember a time he was this drunk. Even during his rebellious teenage years and his rowdy army time did he get so drunk he would willingly climb atop another man, even if it was for an innocent reason.

He shook his head. No, he had never been this drunk.

He squirted some cream into his palm, rubbing his hands together to warm up the cold substance before he playfully slapped Leon's back.

"Be gentle," Leon said coyly, resting his head on his forearm.

"Would I be anything but?" He replied with a tone that seemed to imply that they had known each other for years.

Slowly, he began pressing his palms into Leon's back, rubbing the cream over the redness with care, his tongue slightly sticking out of his mouth as he concentrated.

It wasn't long before a simple application of cream had turned into a back massage. He caressed the expanse of Leon's back, running his hands down his partner's sides before dragging them up to his shoulders and applying pressure in a circular motion.

Unwillingly, a moan escaped Leon's lips as he relaxed into Chris's touch, his body reacting to every motion.

"You know," Chris whispered, leaning down, "I've had many women practically orgasm from me just massaging them."

Leon nodded his head, groaning as Chris applied even more pressure to his shoulders before letting his fingertips dance over the skin beneath them. "I can very well imagine."

Chris looked down at Leon's back, noticing how smooth the skin around the rash was. He licked his lips, his eyes scouring the skin as he began rocking back and forth on Leon's lower back, unbeknownst to both himself and his partner.

If Leon knew Chris's current state of arousal, he chose not to say anything. Instead, he simply hummed, breathing deeply as he felt a set of strong hands continue to touch him.

"Do you like that?" Chris asked in a low voice, bending down again so his breath tickled Leon's neck.

"Mhm, I do," Leon moaned, squirming under his partner.

"Yeah, I like that too," Chris replied, grinding his body against Leon's.

If Leon was unaware before then he was definitely aware now. He could feel a distinct hardened bulge against his lower back, rubbing vigorously up and down his body. He bit his lip, unsure as to what to do. His mind pleaded him to push Chris off, knowing that this would be an act the other man would definitely regret in the morning but his body, now reacting to Chris's touch, begged him to turn over and confront him, hopefully leading to something more.

He shook his head against his forearm. He doubted it was something Chris wanted, even if he was dry humping his back. He was, after all, only looking at the back of Leon (although he was certain that if anything sordid was to go down, the position would fail to change).

It was as he was contemplating what to do with the rampant heterosexual that he felt Chris's hot breath once again on his neck. However, no words came from his mouth. Instead, he felt the pressure of the other man's lips on the nape of his neck.

He snapped his head around, looking at Chris for a moment. Chris tilted his head, moving in further, his lips slightly parted. Leon's body begged him to move forward and kiss him. It pleaded him, causing him to break out in a hot sweat but he couldn't. He raised his hand, pressing it over Chris's mouth.

"I think you should finish this now," he said, his expression cold as if he had instantly sobered up.

"I…" Chris started, blushing a deep red as he retracted his head and sat upright on Leon's back. "I think I already have," he said shyly, looking down at his crotch before he jumped off Leon onto uneasy feet, limping away with haste.

Leon exhaled deeply, rubbing his face into the sofa. At least he could confirm that he still had control over his body. However if Chris was going to continue acting like that, whether it be drunken antics or sober ones, he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to confirm that.

* * *

_A/N: Originally, they were not going to be drunk and Chris wasn't going to rub one out on Leon's back (which is why details are lacking, you dirty pervs). I figured, after scrapping this chapter a million times, that Chris should get wasted. I've known a lot of men do questionable things when they are drunk and realistically, this is the only way I could think of to sort of advance their relationship. Straight guys don't suddenly grind against gay men, unless they are high or drunk (and I'm sure some of you would have objections to Chris whipping out a bong). I promise that the next chapter won't take so long._

_This chapter is probably littered with grammatical and spelling errors. Please don't mistake my use of the English language and spelling for mistakes.  
_


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: My only excuse for the time in between updates was that I was on holiday. A big thank you to all my reviewers…I know I only responded to a couple of you but I got very confused with it all but I do read them all and they cheer me up. Any problems with the chapter can be noted on the back of a postcard and posted to God.

* * *

Chapter Seven

Chris awoke slowly, his brain pulsating loudly in his head and his mouth as dry as the desert. His body ached all over however, the most pain came from his leg.

He swung his body around, wincing with every movement as he attempted to stand up, faltering heavily and falling back down onto the bed with a thump. He closed his eyes tightly, hissing loudly as he dived back under the blankets.

"What happened last night?" He asked himself, rubbing his face into his pillow.

He couldn't remember much. He remembered the smell of food. Had he eaten? He couldn't remember but his stomach insisted that he hadn't. He could distinctly recall that alcohol was involved and the smell of his breath mixed with his pounding headache confirmed this fact.

"Leon…" he muttered, rolling over and looking at the wall that he shared with his partner.

He instantly felt embarrassed. If he insulted Leon when he was sober, he didn't even want to imagine what Leon would have made of him when he was drunk.

If he had said or done anything, he certainly couldn't remember and either Leon would mention it in good humour, like any other normal human being would, or he wouldn't say anything. The latter was the most likely of the two and even though Chris was dying to find out what had happened the night before, he didn't fancy his chances with Leon.

-

It took over an hour for Chris to have a shower and put on clean clothes. He hadn't even attempted to have a shave in his state, fearing for his own life at the thought of himself with a razor blade. He didn't care if he had stubble, after all, he doubted he would be encountering any fine women and even if he did, he would have nowhere to take them to.

He carefully walked into the kitchen, a slight limp still apparent in his leg from an attack he remembered all too well. Despite the fact he had a limp, the pain wasn't as bad as it was a mere hour ago. He was starting to think that the majority of the pain was just in his head and he secretly hoped that Leon would tenderly care for him.

Leon was already awake, his back turned to Chris as he made a cup of coffee and placed several slices of toast in a holder before placing them on the table and turning back away from Chris, his coffee still in his hand.

Uncomfortable was an understatement for how Chris felt at that moment. He gingerly took a seat, picking up a slice of dry toast and nibbling it lightly, too nervous to ask for any butter or preserves.

"I take it you'll be needing some sort of aspirin…" Leon stated, gesturing to a glass of water on the table with a couple of tablets already set out next to it. "We'll be setting off soon. Need to speak to the boss."

Chris eyed up Leon nervously. He seemed overly stressed, even more so than he had come to expect from the man.

"I've already done the paperwork," he said, placing his cup down roughly onto the kitchen counter and quickly taking a seat next to his partner, the file in front of him neatly.

He watched Leon gently run his fingers down the edge of the folder, fingering the corners and leaning down as he flipped it open, scouring over his notes. His hair fell down and covered his eyes. Without thinking, Chris reached over and brushed the hair from Leon's eyes and pushed it behind his ear, the back of his hand caressing his cheek.

Leon didn't move his head but his eyes landed on Chris and stared into him. He glared at him for a moment before he flipped the file shut and stood up. "Don't try and kiss me again, Mr. Redfield."

Chris's hand lingered in the air as the memory of the previous night came flooding back. His face reddened immediately as his arm fell onto the table with a crash, narrowly avoiding all the crockery and utensils.

If things had been awkward before, he didn't want to even imagine how things would be from here on out.

-

After what had happened previously, both men were cautious when it came to taking a ride with a company vehicle but eventually, they piled into the back and set off to headquarters.

"How's the leg?" Leon asked, looking over at Chris.

"Well, it has been better but the pain has pretty much gone. I'm just limping really," he replied, grinning stupidly as he hit his own leg to prove a point.

"So there's no pain at all?"

"There was this morning, but I'm guessing that was just from me mounting you last night…" he said with a smirk, forcing Leon to turn away with much haste. "But after the initial pain and walking on it a little, I've decided to just man up and get over it. I was hoping that if I kept it up, some slutty little nurse would come and tend to my wound but that never happened so…"

"Are you aware that you're a complete moron?" Leon questioned hypothetically as he stared out of the window, catching his own reflection in the glass yet he found his eyes wandering onto Chris's.

Chris stroked his chin for a moment, secretly admiring the amount of stubble he had required after one night. "I have been made aware of this fact in the past, yeah."

"Just confirming. I would have hated for you to have been in denial or something."

"You know, I once fell into the Nile," Chris remarked but before he could continue, Leon snapped his hand over his mouth to cease all sound.

"You should really learn to shut up."

Chris regarded Leon for a moment as his partner's hand slipped away from his mouth. Bit by bit, memories of the previous night came back and all the blanks were slowly filled in. It was when he reflected on these that he couldn't help but wonder about his feelings for Leon.

He wasn't the kind of man to look at the world in black and white. He understood that between them, there were shades of grey. If he found a guy attractive, he acknowledged it. He wouldn't deny himself something good. Although he'd only ever wanted one guy before (and nothing had come of that), he couldn't be certain of exactly what was going on between them.

He couldn't help but feel that he was falling for Leon. He hadn't felt like this since he'd first met Jill and although their relationship had been great at first, it had eventually whittled away to nothing. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go through that again, especially not with a guy.

However, there was the fact that they lived far apart and he would be gone in a week or so. He wouldn't have to deal with any sort of backlash from pursuing any feelings he might harbour for him. If things went wrong, it couldn't get any worse and if they went right…

He sighed heavily. "I could end up falling in love and just getting hurt or maybe hurt him and then I would feel guilty and if he hurt me I'd just feel so dirty and used and…"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Leon muttered, not averting his eyes from the window.

Chris closed his eyes tightly and slammed his hand against his forehead; unable to believe he had spoken aloud. "Just…nothing."

-

"I don't give a damn. You two have a mission to do and I don't want to hear nothing else from you until it is complete!" The boss boomed, jumping out of his chair with a puffy red face.

Leon cautiously placed the report on the desk, leaping back as the boss snatched it up and flicked through it. "We compiled a report on the encounter…"

The boss frowned, taking his cigar from the ashtray and pushing it between his clenched teeth. "Unless it's complete then I don't give a fuck!" He screamed, hurling the report at Chris, sending the loose papers flying around the room. "Have you secured the facility? Have you brought back any samples of what this thing could be?"

"Well, no…" Leon mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

"Then unless one of you is dead and you need a replacement, I don't want to hear about it." He slumped down into his seat, clearly exhausted from raising his voice as he puffed hurriedly on his cigar. "Any more questions, ask my assistant."

"You have an assistant?" Leon asked, surprised as the desk outside his office was always empty and phone calls went straight through.

"Yes I have an assistant," he replied in a childish voice before glaring at the pair. "Now get out of my sight! I want this fucking done before this Christmas! I hired two of the 'best in the business' and I get this slapdash shit." He hissed at them both, watching as they skulked out of the office. "My toddler could have done this and wrote an entire book on it by now."

-

Neither of them had expected their mission to have gone like it had. They had been given little information and little cause for them to even prepare for trouble when investigating. However, it had gone wrong as far as they were concerned and now, through little fault of their own, they were stuck cleaning up a gigantic mess. To say they were stressed was an understatement.

Chris was obviously worked up, having gone for an angry swim as soon as they had entered the house. Leon, on the other hand, had remained composed on the outside. He kept his feelings to himself, watching intensely as his partner swam hard in his pool.

He watched Chris come up for air every few seconds, his face drenched in water and his mouth wide open. Not being able to help himself, his mind reverted back to the previous night.

He had had that man, the epitome of manliness, on top of him; wanting him. He could have taken advantage of his drunken state but he didn't and now the chance had come and gone. He wasn't one to do such a thing, although it was Chris who had initiated it.

He leant against the wall, his eyes still on Chris's distorted body under the water. "Unless…" he muttered aloud, still following his previous train of thought. "Maybe the moment hasn't completely gone."

Turning around, he ran inside to the kitchen and practically dove into the cupboard, pulling out several pots and pans as he frantically searched. By the time he had found what he was looking for, the kitchen looked like a travelling salesman's trunk.

"Gotcha," he whispered, dragging out a dusty bottle of old whiskey. He blew on it, rubbing his thumb over the label and smiling at the date. "Perfect," he said with a smirk, placing the bottle on the side as he took out two glasses.

Was what he thinking wrong? He was certain it was but judging by how Chris had acted this morning, he would either not remember it or just blush and brush it off. Even if they did end up having sex, it wouldn't mean anything and Chris's sexuality wouldn't be harmed as he wouldn't be the one getting penetrated. It was a flawless plan.

In his own mind, he was being logical. They both needed to blow off steam and to him, sex was the best way to do that and if the evening didn't pan out like that, a drunken splendour was just as good. Chris had wanted him the previous night; he can't have been that drunk or maybe he just wasn't as straight as he claimed to be. A person's true intentions tended to come out when they are paralytic.

He ran upstairs, grabbing essential supplies from his bedside drawer. He didn't want to be unprepared. If the opportunity presented itself to Leon again, he would take it.

* * *

A/N: You're all worried that I've made Leon an alcoholic, right? Well, he isn't and where I'm from, getting people drunk to take advantage of them is the norm. At least he isn't lacing Chris's drinks with GHB or anything. To all of you waiting for them to bone each other, I suggest you go sit in the corner with a yaoi manga or something. That should tide you over until I post again. Oh, and for those of you not familiar with male sicknesses, they come and go as they please and tend to only be severe when they can't be bothered doing anything...that solves the mystery of Chris's leg and lets me be happy with the next chapter I wrote.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: It occurred to me that maybe some of my readers don't see the obvious in things (like myself) so I should say, just in case, that A/N: stands for author's note. Anyway, don't you just love it when you sit down at your desk with a really fit cup of hot chocolate and your cat jumps up and knocks the boiling hot drink onto your lap and all over the beanbag your sitting on? Oh it hurts…

* * *

Chapter Eight

Chris stared intensely at Leon. The previous nights feelings all flooding back as he watched Leon flick the hair from his face and part his mouth slightly, the whiskey sliding onto his tongue, leaving a slight glistening residue on his lips.

He didn't care what he was; all he knew was that he wanted this man more than he had ever wanted anyone.

He lit a cigarette, not having another drink until he had sorted his thoughts. Leon wanted him, he could tell. He was acting the way most women did.

He took a long drag, blowing the smoke to the side, his eyes still on his partner.

"Did you like the feel of my lips on your neck last night?" Chris asked out of the blue, his cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"I think they would have felt better against my cock," Leon said bluntly.

Chris's expression went blank for a moment then he suddenly stubbed out his cigarette and stood up. Without warning, he reached over and grabbed Leon's collar, dragging him roughly across the table, knocking their glasses to the ground.

Before Leon could even compose himself, Chris pushed his entire body against his and crashed their lips together.

Their tongues met momentarily before Chris bit down on Leon's lip and dragged it downwards, his fingers hooking his partner's belt loops. Their bodies pushed together, their erections brushing against one another and moans dropped from each man's parted lips.

Leon pushed him back; smirking as he wiped his salvia coated mouth. "This certainly was a turn up for the books," he remarked coyly.

"As if it wasn't planned," Chris replied with a slur, placing one hand on Leon's hip and pulling him closer again. He breathed heavily down Leon's neck, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol intoxicating Leon further. "Anyway, I never said I didn't like men," Chris pointed out with a smile, gently kissing the expanse of flesh he found as he pulled the neckline of Leon's shirt. "I just said I wasn't gay."

-

They both stumbled up the stairs, their hands never leaving each other's bodies. As soon as they reached the top, Leon immediately wrapped his arms around Chris's neck and pulled him down, their bodies falling backwards and slamming against the wall.

"We should take this to the bedroom," Leon mumbled against his partner's lips.

"I can't wait that long," Chris admitted, despite the fact they were only a few steps away from the bedroom.

Without warning, he gripped Leon's waist and spun him around, forcing him against the wall. As soon as he felt the younger man struggle, he quickly grabbed his arms and raised them above his head with ease.

"What are you doing?" Leon all but screamed against the wall.

Chris grinned as he held onto Leon's arms with one hand, letting his other fall down and sneak his hand onto Leon's crotch, grabbing his erection playfully. "Well, although it may look like it, I'm definitely not raping you."

Leon groaned wantonly as Chris palmed his cock though his trousers. He panted heavily, rubbing himself up against Chris.

Chris chuckled as he flipped the clasp on the trousers open. He pulled them down, playfully delivering a slap to Leon's left cheek before he fumbled with the button on his own trousers.

He let his hand slip into Leon's boxers, gently fondling his balls for a moment before taking hold of his cock and sliding it through his hand. The whole concept of pleasuring another man was alien to him but by the way Leon was purring against the wall, he could tell he was doing something right.

Leon fumbled in his pocked for the items he had grabbed earlier. Once found, he pressed them into Chris's hand, hoping he had a basic knowledge of how homosexual lovemaking worked (although he would hardly call what they were about to do 'love-making').

"What do you want me to do with this?" Chris asked, still running his fingers along his shaft, feeling it pulsate under his touch.

"I want you to fuck me. I thought that was obvious, even to a Neanderthal such as yourself."

Chris laughed; throwing his head back slightly and licking his lips as he dipped his head low, nipping at the skin on Leon's neck. His let his hands slide up his partner's shirt, abruptly leaving Leon's arousal, causing him to cry out in protest as his dick continued to drip.

"Come on, just do me now," Leon panted, turning around and hoisting Chris's trousers down, licking his lips as memories of his first encounter with Chris's most private parts (or not so private where Chris was concerned). He reached into his pocket, taking out a condom, placing the wrapper between his teeth and ripping it open before he swiftly slipped it onto Chris's erection; a smirk gracing his features as Chris let out a moan from the simple act.

Chris wasn't one that needed telling twice. Without much thought, he flipped Leon around again, forcing him against the wall before he took a step back and gazed upon Leon's naked behind. He flipped the lid of the lubricant Leon had given him, trickling the substance onto his fingers and palm before he slicked his cock.

He stumbled forward, grabbing Leon's arms and once again raising them above his head, pushing him further against the wall before he unceremoniously forced himself inside his partner, coughing out a moan at the new sensation that washed over him.

Leon snapped his eyes shut, wanting something to bite but his hands were pinned above him. All he could do was pant heavily against the wall as Chris roughly fucked him, his teeth nipping at his neck; his tongue delicately lapping at the wounds he continued to create.

"Am I doing this right?" Chris asked, stopping his movements, his hands still clutched around Leon's wrists.

"I've had worse," Leon spoke through gritted teeth, moving his hips back and forth, trying desperately to get some friction for his arousal, even if it was just from a wall. "But I've also had better," he muttered, hissing as he managed to get Chris to brush against his prostate.

Chris grunted against Leon's neck before he roughly grabbed onto Leon's hips, pulling out quickly before he impaled himself deeply. He reached up, running his fingers through the other man's hair and pulling it roughly. "I can make this so much better," he said coyly, turning them both around and pushing Leon forward onto the side table.

The decorative items fell to the floor, the sound of each item smashing mingling in with the mixed moans of each man as they continued to fuck over the table. Every thrust was followed by a creak; every moan from Leon followed by a soft kiss from Chris.

Leon watched as the vase of tulips tipped over, the flowers falling one by one to the floor with every strong thrust. He could see Chris's reflection in the spilt water. Although the image was distorted, his mind perfectly filled in the blanks.

"I need you to touch me," Leon cried out as Chris mercilessly pounded into him with brutish strength, his hands clutching onto the side of the table to balance himself.

If Chris had heard, he had chosen to ignore it as he continued to drive into Leon, sporadically brushing against his sweet spot. Not enough for the intense pleasure he needed in order to relieve himself but not too little to let him think this was a waste of time and effort.

"Please Chris," he pleaded, attempting to touch himself but quickly realising he needed both hands to steady himself on the table.

Knowing that he would have no luck, he quickly placed both hands in front of him and pushed himself up, reaching his hands back and over his head to hold onto Chris's shoulders for support.

"Just give me something to work with here!" Leon whined, letting his hand fall down to grip his own throbbing cock.

"I've got my dick up your ass, what more do you want?" He grunted, shrugging as he reached up and pulled Leon's face around, sloppily kissing Leon with pure lust and continuing to press into Leon over and over as the other man stroked himself.

"Touch me now."

"I can't," Chris stammered out, digging his fingers into Leon's hips as his thrusts became more and more uncoordinated.

Leon shook his head in frustration, grabbing Chris's hand and guiding it around to his arousal, forcing him to pleasure him. He interlaced their fingers, directing Chris's hand; teaching him what a man wants.

The sensation was overwhelming. Chris's lack of skill was made up for with his enthusiasm as he continued to penetrate him deeply in a slapdash manner. Not every thrust directly stimulated his prostate but when they did, the directness and sheer force that Chris used was enough to make him see stars.

Leon swallowed hard, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth and rocking his hips back and forth on Chris's cock, his dick sliding through his partner's loose fist. "I'm so close. Just keep going."

"I can't," repeated Chris, once again slamming Leon face first against the wall, taking his hand off his erection and steadying himself. He bit down onto Leon's shoulder, his thrusts shallow and selfish until he slowed down suddenly, his entire body wracked with ecstasy as he came. Shuddering and groaning loudly, he pulled Leon closer and panted against his shoulder, gently trembling as he rode out his orgasm.

"Please tell me you're just taking a breather…" Leon asked, already knowing the answer as he felt Chris's erection slowly fade away inside him.

Chris clung onto Leon for a moment before he pulled out and turned his partner around and kissed him gently, leaving the tongues out as he let his hands fall and tenderly wrap around the other man. "You were amazing," he slurred, grinning. "Now let's go cuddle."

"Wait, what about me?" Leon all but pleaded as Chris took hold of his hand and roughly dragged him to the bedroom. Unfortunately for Leon, as soon as he was shoved onto the bed, Chris fell down and passed out instantly.

* * *

A/N: I thoroughly enjoy writing sex scenes where the guy has only ever slept with women :3 Suck it Leon, you ain't ever going to come. I jest, you'll get your lovey dovey sex scene that's all nice and fluffy soon (y'know, the type where they both orgasm at the same time and fall asleep whispering sweet nothings to each other…or maybe you people would prefer it if I just brought Wesker in and had him capture them both and ravish them with his mouth…ahem).


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: New chapter and in this I mention an electrical product called GHDs and for those that have short hair and/or do no straighten their hair, they are hair straighteners that basically, make your hair nice and…straight (the only work on your hair, they won't make Leon straight). I don't have a pair though because I'm poor. I wouldn't buy a pair anyway since they ruin your hair.

* * *

Chapter Nine

Leon groaned awake, his eyes sore and his head heavy. However, the most prominent feeling was that of dissatisfaction and he knew the cause of that.

He reached out his arm, slapping the other side of his bed expecting to his a hulking brute of a man, only instead he hit his mattress – an occurrence he wasn't a stranger to. He rolled his face in his pillow, ignoring his aching erection as he allowed himself to remember what had occurred the previous night.

As he was recalling how viciously Chris had taken him, a persistent clacking interrupted his train of thought and he knew that sooner or later, he would have to investigate the noise. He could only think of one thing that would do such an annoying thing at such an hour.

Sure enough as he pulled himself up in his bed, mindful to hide his morning wood, he gazed upon his partner. His very naked partner that had little shame in walking around nude, screwing him selfishly and touching all his personal belongings.

"What do you think you're doing?" Leon asked, running his hand through his own hair as he cast a glance to the item Chris held and the source of the annoying sound.

"What's a GHD?" Chris replied, completely ignoring the younger man's question in the quest to feed his own. He examined the alien product in his hand, clamping it on his hand for a moment before dangling it by its cord.

Leon sighed heavily, standing up and wrapping his sheet around his naked waist. "It's a good hair day, something I'm sure you've never had in your entire life."

"Meow," Chris said with a hiss, clawing the air in front of him before he placed the offending item back down on the dresser. "I would have thought that last night would have changed you a little."

Leon couldn't suppress a laugh as he made his way into his en-suite bathroom. "Change me? Well, it made me even moodier if that's what you meant. However, if you were hoping that I'd suddenly declare my undying love for you and warm up like a nice little fire, that definitely will not happen."

"And why is that?" Chris asked, stepping over to the bathroom in the hopes of joining Leon in a shower only to have the door slammed in his face.

"Because firstly, I don't love or fall in love with anyone. Secondly, your sexual techniques leave a lot to be desired and thirdly," He paused, opening the door and looking Chris up and down, not lingering on his manhood for to long as to avoid a blush creeping onto his face. "…Thirdly, you are not something I have any desire to wake up to in the morning; every morning."

Chris jumped back as Leon slammed the door again. He wasn't one to intrude on a person's personal space, well at least he never imagined himself to, but he couldn't let Leon just ignore him like this.

He wasn't stupid enough to not understand the situation. After all, he had been an idiot and an even bigger one to have thought that Leon would have just let it go. He didn't come off as the kind of guy to let anything go.

He slammed his hand against the door upon hearing the shower starting. He had done many idiotic things in his life but this was a first. It wasn't everyday that you slept with a man and treat him like a woman.

A blush crept onto his face as he remembered falling onto his partner, the man's erection pushing against his stomach before he fell asleep. Was he really such a selfish lover usually? He hadn't ever really given it much thought but now…now he had an overwhelming urge to phone up every woman he had ever slept with and apologise.

"If you punch a hole in my door, you better have the euros to pay for it," interrupted a voice from behind the wall.

Chris dragged his hand against the wall. He didn't even have any euros. His wallet had been in his bag and so has his credit cards. He couldn't even leave to go to a hotel or go shopping to get out of Leon's hair.

Not that I want to get out of his hair, Chris thought to himself as he pressed his naked body against the door. He could smell Leon's shampoo through crack in the door. He imagined his hands running through the soft locks. He always smelt so good. So clean and organised both in appearance and lifestyle.

He wanted to make it up to Leon but he didn't even know where to begin now and he knew that rubbing against his bathroom door wouldn't do any good.

-

The cold water was something Leon desperately needed on his body. He needed something to distract him from what had happened within the last twenty-four hours.

He lathered up his hair, allowing the sweet smell of the strawberry shampoo flood his senses. He couldn't believe his momentary lapse in judgement. Well, more than momentary. He overestimated Chris, thinking he was more than your average hotheaded male.

"He's just the same," he said into the spray of the showerhead, spitting the water to the side. He wasn't sure what he expected from a man such as Chris. He couldn't even say that Chris was gentle with him as he was far from that. It wasn't bad sex per se as far as sex with heterosexual men went but there was room for improvement. He just didn't desire to teach another man.

It was just a stress reliever, he told himself. Even so, not even cold water could rid him of his aching erection. He turned up the heat and allowed his hand to fall to his arousal before he muttered a simple "Chris…" and began pleasuring himself; shame resting heavily on his shoulders.

On the other side of the door, Chris had slid a pair of boxers on and was pacing up and down the room. He felt torn. On one hand, he had no problems with a simple one nighter with a person. However, on the other hand, he felt as though his heart wouldn't be satisfied with just that one night with Leon.

He gazed down at the wound on his leg. A solid scab had now formed and he smiled as he remembered how concerned Leon had been when that monster had attacked him. It had been the first sign that the man was indeed human since they had met. The way he had carried a man probably twice his weight to safety without question.

He hadn't spent long with Leon but he could sense that somewhere, he was a truly decent man and he genuinely wanted to have him as a friend and now, maybe something more. Despite what he felt, he was a realist at heart and he knew that once the mission was over, he would be shipped back to American and Leon would stay in Italy.

He didn't know how long the mission would be though and judging by new evidence, he would be here longer than planned anyway. He could try and force Leon to open up. They could fall in love and Leon could come back with him and they would live happily ever after.

"Yeah right," he said aloud, walking over to the bedroom door. He wanted to stay in the room and talk to Leon as he came out of the shower but he was certain that his face was the last thing his partner wanted to see right now.

With a sigh, he turned the doorknob and left the room.

-

A tall figure crouched down beside the corpse of the large mutated animal at the base of the ladder in the underground military bunker. He smirked as he saw the amount of human blood on its claws before he took a sample and stood back up again.

He strode back to his lab deep in the facility, his white coat fluttering behind him and his footsteps echoing throughout. He enjoyed being alone. Having people around in the past had just caused many problems.

With ease, he tested the sample and waited for his database to retrieve a hit. The small logo in the corner flashed as he took a seat and awaited the result he already knew was coming. That logo had been his only friend in recent years. The white and red mingling together as it spun around with it's own personality on the monitor.

A ding alerted his attention to the centre of the screen and as predicted, a familiar face graced the screen.

"Chris Redfield, as expected," the man muttered. After all, he had put in an order suggesting the man to his 'boss'. However, he couldn't work out how he had escaped the test subject.

He quickly drew up security footage, scouring the data from the approximated death of his experiment. "Of course," he said as his eyes slanted on the footage before he leant back in his chair. "You have a partner. Pity, I didn't want to involve anyone else in this personal vendetta of mine."

He laughed manically, throwing his sunglasses down onto the desk as he stood up and gazed upon a series of large glass chambers around him, each subject within snarling and howling in pain, wearing a blood soaked lab coat.

-

"Look, Chris," Leon rushed as he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. "Not being a jackass is one of my new years resolutions and I'm sorry for being so snappy with you. You seem like a great guy and I'm just not giving you a chance at all and…" he cut himself off as he opened the door to an empty bedroom.

He looked around quickly, making sure he wasn't going to jump out at him and surprise him with a kiss. He cast a glance to the ground. He'd act like he hated it but secretly he'd love it. No man had ever been spontaneous with him. He'd always managed to push everyone away or be so cold that they'd just shy away from him.

He shook his head. There wasn't time for this. He had a mission to do and he couldn't let anything get in the way. As he dressed himself, he just hoped that his partner was as professional.

Composing himself, he headed down into the kitchen, the smell of coffee replacing that of strawberries. All he had to be was professional about this. Last night never happened and he would never speak of it again.

However, such a thing was easier said than done as he gazed upon a half naked Chris bending down and rummaging in a drawer as soon as he entered the room. He took in a deep breath, easing his hormones. Chris had truly stirred some unfulfilled feelings deep within and now, every time he gazed upon the man's naked body (which seemed to be every waking hour of the day) he felt like a teenager again.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked, his voice fifty degrees colder than his body.

Chris snapped up, his manhood distractingly bouncing within his thin underwear, enough so for Leon to look away from him. "I…I'm looking for some…" his eyes shot around the room as he thought up a plausible excuse. "I'm trying to find…" His eyes settled on the coffee maker. "…Sugar?"

Leon raised an eyebrow, walking over to the open drawer and slamming it shut, narrowly avoiding his partner's fingers. "That would be located in the jar on the counter," he pointed to the jar in question. "The one that says sugar on it."

"Ah, that would make sense," Chris muttered, walking over to the side and mumbling to himself.

"Do you want to tell me what you were really doing in there?" Leon questioned, taking a seat at the table and glaring at Chris's back. The man really did know no bounds when it came to privacy. "I find it hard to believe that you think sugar is stored in the small drawer under my telephone."

Chris turned around with a cup of coffee in his hand, taking a large gulp and swallowing. Both men knew that the coffee had only just been made and was therefore boiling but neither displayed any concern for it.

"I'm going to say I don't want to tell you what I was doing," Chris replied with a lisp, his mouth burnt to the point where tears formed at his eyes.

Leon bit his tongue and grit his teeth, closing his eyes tightly as he suppressed the frustration he felt towards the other man. He wasn't going to take any bait Chris would give him. He wasn't going to explode no matter how many times Chris would light his fuse.

"Put some clothes on and meet me out front in twenty minutes

* * *

A/N: I did hire a beta/human F7 but I didn't like the idea of starting the whole thing on an uneven chapter number so maybe next chapter (chapter ten), my human F7 will be used and you won't have to suffer all those errors caused by my fat cat walking on my laptop. Also, next chapter…maybe some action, mutants and Leon being an even bigger idiot. Maybe more of Chris being a nudist too.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Long time no see. I've had the worst summer of my life but now, it's winter and I will promise regular updates to anyone that is still reading! I have 'hired' a nice little beta - ToraChibiChan so spelling mistakes etc should be going down and the quality should be going up. If it isn't, I now have someone to blame! The first line and a half is her work since she suggested it and I liked the phrase 'last night's festivities' too much not to use it.

* * *

Chapter Ten  
After a long, conversation-less drive, Chris felt the pain in his leg well up as the bunker came into view. Apparently, the mission was taking priority over last night's festivities in Leon's mind and his own brain couldn't handle processing the more recent events. He was starting to think that maybe he should have taken that medical attention Leon had offered and stolen a few sick days.

He didn't like to think he was superstitious but as soon as he descended into the darkness of the bunker, he couldn't help but have the feeling that someone was watching him – or even worse; something.

He could deal with people. People were simple. They were either armed or unarmed and without a weapon, the average person could do little damage to him. He could even deal with the walking dead. After all, all they did was bite him or scratch him.

He could not, however, deal with mutants or monsters or dinosaur-esque creatures that he thought only existed in science fiction novels. Sure, the walking dead had been a turn up for the books all those years ago but science had explained that and at least they were human at one point in their life.

He could feel the wound on his leg burn at the sheer thought of that monster. He cocked his gun and overtook Leon in the corridor, the overprotective side of him coming out although he was sure Leon probably thought he was just being overzealous.

"Look," Chris started, looking at a side door next to the electronic one where the creature had come from. "About last night…"

Leon quickly reholstered his own gun and pushed Chris out of the way. "What about it?" He said coldly, placing his hands on the doorjamb before delivering a swift and ineffective kick to the door.

"Don't you think we should talk about it?"

Leon didn't bother looking at Chris, instead he simply motioned for him to stand next to him. "It doesn't require any immediate attention." He kicked it once again; the door didn't budge. "Cover me," he said, taking out his gun again and aiming it at the handle. "As soon as this door opens, you better fucking shoot at whatever clambers towards me."

Chris nodded, aiming directly into the centre of the door. He could barely keep his eyes open. He didn't have an overactive imagination and he wasn't the most creative boy but what his mind was conjuring up was enough to make him want to sleep with a nightlight for the duration his of stay here.

A gunshot later, the door slowly slid open and both men were astonished to see a dusty storage room, much like the ones on the upperfloor. They both strode in, their guns at arms length whilst they scoped out the room and to Leon's disappointment, they found nothing.

"Great, nothing in here."

"Well, I could just go open that door in the hallway…" Chris pointed out, blowing the dust off one of the shelving units.

"Yeah, why don't you do that? Maybe you'll lose an arm this time," he said sarcastically before muttering, "It could only be an improvement." He thumbed through a few scattered documents, seeing nothing of interest.

Chris sighed heavily, growing weary of Leon's sarcasm. "Well, how else do you expect us to get into that room? We can hardly go in from the top, being as we're about a mile underground."

Leon chewed on the side of his mouth for a moment, looking up at the ceiling, his eyes scouring the tall shelves before they landed on Chris. "Despite your over-exaggeration concerning how deep we are, I think you might be onto something." He walked over to the wall he could only assume was connected to the next room. He shook the shelving unit, confirming its stability.

"You trying to call in an air strike to just blow this place up?" Chris questioned, unsure as to what exactly what was going through his partner's head.

"Climb up this thing. There is probably an air vent being as this place is underground. I can't see one on any other wall and being as this is connected to another room, it's probably at the top of this wall." He folded his arms, flicking his hair slightly. He sometimes thought he was too smart for his own good.

Chris raised an eyebrow, looking at the structure. "You'll have to give me a boost," he said, placing his hands on the highest shelf he could reach.

Leon let his shoulders slump forward but he decided not to protest. As soon as he bent down slightly, Chris all but jumped onto him and he found a very rough pair of thighs around his neck.

"What are you doing, you cretin?!" He screamed, wobbling as he got to his feet, the fabric of Chris's trousers rubbing against his face uncomfortably.

"I needed a boost!" He cackled, grabbing onto a higher shelf to steady himself.

Leon rolled his eyes, his shoulders throbbing in pain under the sheer weight of Chris. "How much do you fucking weigh?"

"About two twenty," Chris said, trying to hold onto the higher shelf for dear life as Leon continued to stumble beneath him. "Hold still."

"I'm trying to but I seem to have a walrus on my shoulders." Leon snapped, stumbling over and landing on the floor. He looked up momentarily to see Chris dangle from the shelving unit. For a moment, he feared for his life as he swung around, worried that he could fall only to let out a sigh of relief as Chris found his footing and then swiftly pulled himself up.

Chris looked down, grinning before he phased a hurt expression. "Did you just call me fat? Because I'll have you know this is all muscle." He turned around and immediately found the air vent Leon had predicted.

"I didn't call you fat, my aching shoulders did. You could stand to lose a few pounds," he muttered. However, what he thought was quite the contrary to what came out of his mouth. In all honesty, he had never been so physically attracted to another man and when he touched Chris the previous night; he had found no extra lumps or bumps of anything irregular.

"Anyway, I like to promote a healthy body image," he said, taking out his penknife and making light work of the screws that held the vent in place. Luckily, it wasn't a small one otherwise he knew, despite how 'healthy' he thought his body was, it would never fit through those vents in the films. He wasn't sure if Leon would actually go through it though.

It was dusty and grimy and judging by Leon's pristine appearance, he probably didn't enjoy getting dirty. That being said, he also knew that Leon was a professional and he would have no objections helping his partner clean up later.

Several moments later, Chris found himself uncomfortably inside a metal vent; staring at the rear end he had been overly familiar with the night before. He had an urge to make light of the situation but the constantly grunting from Leon suggested such a thing would not be in his favour.

Before he could even speak, his partner hushed him. "Quiet now, I think I've found the exit."

He was usually the sort of man to point out the obvious and had known that if, instead of taking the first left, they had taken the first right, they would have arrived at their destination sooner but he felt that he was walking on very thin ice. He was on his best behaviour and he knew that even that wasn't very good.

"We going to just kick the thing open and jump in, guns blazing?" Chris asked, trying to look over Leon's shoulder.

Leon turned around uncomfortably, his back grazing against the roof. "Yeah, and then we'll make mad passionate love on the corpse of whatever we kill in there."

"Now you're speaking my language," he replied, a goofy grin gracing his face before he was punched in the shoulder.

"You're actually going to shut up whilst I look through the slats and check this out."

Whilst Chris attempted to shake off the embarrassment of being scolded by a man younger than himself, Leon peered through the grate, astonished at what he saw.

Each piece of furniture was pristine and from what he could see, there wasn't a spec of dust anywhere. He could deduce for certain that someone had cleaned the place recently and judging by the working monitors, someone was using the place on a regular basis.

Leon couldn't make out the majority of the other room but he could tell it was some sort of laboratory. Still, what he knew about science, you could write on the back of a playing card. He wasn't one for gambling, but he would put money on the possibility that Chris knew nothing about science labs.

"Are you going to do something or just continue sightseeing?" Chris mumbled, trying to barge past.

"I could ask you the same thing," Leon replied, cocking his head slightly around, the same grim expression still on his face.

Chris seemed confused for a moment by the comment before he discarded it and let out an irritated huff. He didn't want to wait around and take any sort of abuse from Leon, especially since he wasn't allowed to spit back a similar sort of comment without a scalding.

"Come on, man. It's hot and uncomfortable in here. I'm sweating like a pig," he said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand and brushing the sweat onto Leon's trousers, much to his partner's annoyance.

"Pigs don't actually sweat. That's a common misconception," Leon muttered, as he turned around and laid on his back, looking up at Chris for a moment, their eyes locking in an intense stare.

Chris couldn't take his eyes off his partner, the overwhelming urge to kiss him taking over as he dipped his head, only to have Leon snap his hand up and place it over Chris's face.

"You don't want to do that," Leon said with a low tone before he looked down at his feet and began kicking at the vent cover, his feet pounding into the metal grate over and over until it finally fell down and crashed to the ground with a loud din. "Come on, move it."

--

With both men scouting out the room, he couldn't help but smile at the screen on his laptop. He hadn't thought they would be this quick and he had to give them credit at their inventiveness of crawling through the air duct system. He had forgotten about that. The mistake made him feel so human and he seethed at the thought but he was also relieved.

He wanted to play around for a moment before he was finished and Chris was always a fun toy. Even monsters needed a little time off.

He adjusted his sunglasses and slicked back his hair before he closed the notebook. With grace, he stood up and smirked.

* * *

A/N: If you haven't guess who the 'man' is I have one question for you: why are you reading a Resident Evil fic if you've never played the games? So who's excited for me actually giving this 'man' a name in the next chapter? Oh, I'm keeping you on your toes.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you to all reviewers! You're very nice people and I just want to give you all chocolates and kittens but alas, I think it's illegal to post kittens and your postman could be allergic. So you shall all just have to take this chapter as a thank you. I'll go and personally respond to each and every one of you…unless you left an anon review and then well…Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Eleven

"So what do you think they're doing down here?" Chris asked, bending over and looking through a beaker of teal coloured liquid. Part of him wanted to drink whatever it was but he suppressed the urge as a nagging at the back of his mind told him that it was probably poisonous.

Leon didn't bother to turn around as he browsed the bookcase, taking in a few notable titles before he arrived at the computer. "Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest it's something illegal."

Chris mouthed some unspoken words as he wandered over to a wall of glass tanks. He knew that if he spoke anymore, Leon would either find out that he's a complete dunce when it came to science or he'd just annoy his partner to death.

"Wonder where the scientists are... after all, it's safe to say this is some sort of research facility." Leon muttered, not really asking a question but merely giving a voice to his thoughts.

Chris approached a row of large glass tanks, frosted on the outside, or so he thought, but as he pressed his nose against the cold window he saw streams of condensation dripping down on the inside. Before he could even blink, a large body flung itself at the glass and Chris stumbled backwards, landing hard on his backside.

"What the fuck?" Chris screamed, batting himself all over his body with the palms of his hands as he lay on the floor, somewhat convinced that something was on him.

Leon snapped his head around and dropped the file, instantly running to Chris's side and crouching down. "What happened?" he asked, before he turned his head to face what Chris was staring at.

His eyes widened as he saw a large snarling monster resembling something from old English folklore. It was similar to what had attacked them in the corridor previously, however this one had more of a human form, but whatever it could be, it was far from human.

Leon got to his feet and walked slowly over, greeted for a second time by the monster, now growling at him and scratching the glass and pressing its body against the window. He wasn't sure what it was responding to, whether it was sight, smell or sound. He stared the face, the skin littered with so many deep lacerations that its previous form was unrecognisable. It was then that he noticed bits of white fabric attached to its body stained with blood. He tapped on the glass, watching it respond viciously. It was then that he noticed a small nametag on the floor, splattered with red.

"I think I've found the scientists," he said with slight horror as he backed up. "I hate to sound like a defeatist, and it really isn't in my nature to be so, but this is out of our league. I think we need…" Leon's voice trailed off, a sense of dread coming over him. Chris hadn't said anything stupid in the last thirty seconds...

Whipping around, Leon froze, his gaze meeting the rather discouraging image of Chris Redfield: weaponless with the barrel of a pistol to his head.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, his hand went to his holster instantly, despite knowing that he wasn't quick enough to take the attacker out without his partner being harmed. He felt a lump form in his throat as his mind replayed his training. His police training was telling him that saving your partner was the most important thing but his new training was telling him something completely different.

_This is why I work alone_, he thought to himself, his line of sight switching between his partner and the stranger.

"Come on boy, drop your weapon," the man said slowly, pressing his own weapon firmly against Chris's skull. "Don't make me blow our friend's brains out…well, what little he has."

Leon took in a deep breath, trying to read any signals Chris was sending him but all he could sense was fear. He aimed at both men once more before he allowed the gun to go loose in his hand. With a long sigh, he flipped the safety on and dropped the gun to the ground with a crash.

"This will be a fun inconvenience," the man muttered, smirking and motioning for Leon to join his partner as a hostage.

Leon complied, raising his arms submissively as he kept his eyes on the man. He had seen this guy's face before but he just couldn't place it. "Who are you?" He'd noted the man's posture and physique... scientists couldn't look like that; not even in a place like this.

The man chuckled as he struck Chris sharply on the back of the head with the butt of his gun before nudging the brunette towards Leon. "Why don't you tell your little friend, Mr. Redfield?"

Chris rubbed the growing bump on the back of his head, scowling at the man before he cleared his throat. "Leon, I'd like you to meet Albert Wesker, former S.T.A.R.S captain and world renowned asshole and backstabber."

"Now Chris, that is no way to speak about me," Wesker said slowly, walking over and sticking the gun into the small of Chris's back. "Walk." He snapped, shoving him forward into Leon.

Obeying the threat of the firearm, the two 'hostages' shuffled into the adjacent room, both taking in a sharp breath as they took in their new surroundings. Rows and rows of glass cages containing the same hybrid monsters as the previous room lined the walls, and in the centre stood a large autopsy table holding a corpse of woman.

"What the hell are you doing down here?" Chris snarled as Wesker forced them both into one of the empty glass cages, both men stumbling to the cold concrete ground.

"Research," he replied bluntly, keying in a code and locking the door. "Part of me wants to close the air vents on this little cage and let you suffocate, but as a researcher, you two are much too nice specimens to waste."

Chris scoffed, shaking his head. "Nice to see you haven't forgotten your roots."

Wesker smiled, crossing his arms and waving his gun. "I did feel like a change and I was a much better scientist than homicidal manic. Plus, the health benefits for this job are amazing."

"You're just a dirty little lab rat and-" he was cut off by an elbow to the gut.

"Stop antagonising him," Leon hissed through gritted teeth, glaring at his partner. "This is a mission and yes, this is a slight mishap, but dammit, would you just act professional for once in your lifetime?! Or do you always insist on acting like a damn fool?"

"You should listen to your little boyfriend. He speaks wise words," Wesker shouted from across the laboratory as he searched through a pile of paperwork. He took a number of files and a few loose sheets of paper before he left the room without saying another word.

As soon as the door slid shut, Leon delivered another swift blow to Chris's body, this time his arm. "You're the worst goddamn hired help in the world."

"Oh sorry, I didn't have time to kill him between shitting my pants and having the barrel of a gun lodged in my head." Chris remarked sarcastically, standing up and leaning against the wall. "Anyway, you don't understand. This guy is crazy. He would have caught us sooner or later. At least this way he didn't beat us to within an inch of our lives before he threw us in here to rot."

Leon frowned, staring at his partner as he stretched his legs out on the ground, built up fury finally being released. "Why couldn't you just have stood still or sat on a chair or just not touched anything? Why do you have to touch everything that doesn't belong to you? You just can't leave anything alone. Everything in the world is Chris's property. You have rights to just take _everything _and you just don't give a _shit _about the consequences of your actions." He ground his teeth together to fill the silence created by his outburst and fiddled with a loose thread on his fingerless gloves.

Chris turned around after a while and held a slightly shocked look from having heard his emotionless partner speak more than a sentence at a time that wasn't directly related to the mission. He was about to shout back at Leon but he couldn't help but notice the younger man was shaking ever so slightly.

"This isn't about us being in here, is it? It's about something else… right?" His voice was soft as he shifted over to place his hand on Leon's shoulder; only to have it forcibly removed by his partner jumping to his feet.

"Leave me alone. I'm going to figure out a way to escape this thing and then kill that guy or at least horribly mutilate him."

Leon continued to gaze down at his gloves, desperately trying to not look at the man next to him. He didn't need to deal with his feelings right now. They were his own personal problem and he refused to let them interfere with his job.

He clambered to his feet, pressing his palms against the thick glass. This was something that would require his brain and he didn't need his heart getting in the way.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hello to all the jolly people reading still. Chapter Twelve is upon us and we're getting the plot moving! Yeah, don't spring a boner just yet. As usual, the character belong to Capcom and this was edited by my wonderful beta, so we should all thank her by hunting her down and giving her some form of baked goods. You should also see a Christmas themed oneshot pop-up sometime in the near future but if you don't read anything else by me, let me just wish you all happy holidays (because you might not celebrate Xmas) and I thank you for all the reviews I have recieved! Starting this chapter, I'll respond to them as soon as I get them as I always forget.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Over half an hour had passed. Wesker had failed to return and Leon had failed to find any way to penetrate the walls or door of the glass container. The air within had gone stale with unspoken words and neither man wanted to speak first. Leon didn't want to apologise for snapping at Chris and Chris just was unsure as to what to say.

He wouldn't say he was emotionally retarded but he was hardly in tune with people on that level. It took him a while to understand what people wanted from him and by the time he did, it was usually too late.

Watching Leon was tiring him out. His partner had paced back and forth, mumbling inaudible things over and over to the point where he himself felt dizzy.

"Have you thought of anything?" He asked finally, closing his eyes and lying down on the ground. At this point, he didn't care about what could have been in the cage before him. He had climbed through sewers and been bitten by savage dogs so it was doubtful he'd catch any diseases left behind on the floor.

Leon stopped, glaring at the door with murderous intent before he delivered a swift kick to it, finally saying, "No, I have not."

Chris opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling and almost instantly; he noticed a ridge in a panel above them. Leon had been right in assuming there was a way out and he hated to be the one to point out that all he had to do was look up. Part of him wanted to keep this fact to himself but the other part of him was desperate to take a leak and grab something to eat, neither of which he'd be able to do locked inside a glass cage.

"What's that up there?" He asked, playing dumb and adopting a similar expression on his face as Leon turned around and gazed down at him.

"What is what?"

Leon followed Chris's finger as he raised it up and pointed towards the roof.

"The glass on the ceiling has a groove in it and-" He was cut off by Leon marching over and shushing him with his hand.

"That would be our way out." Leon simply replied, squinting up. "This time, you give me a boost." He said cattily, a small hint of amusement momentarily playing on his features before his face reverted back to its stoic tone again.

Chris hesitantly got to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes before he looked at Leon. "How do you want to do this?" He asked, a smirk on his lips. "If I'm going to give you a boost, inevitably you'll be shoving either your ass or your crotch in my face." He paused, moving closer to his partner and resting his hand on the other man's shoulder. "How do you want it to go?"

Leon rolled his eyes, before looking Chris in the eyes with a dead expression. "How about I shove my foot up your ass and launch you into the main door? Your thick skull will surely break it down."

"Point taken, no need to get so defensive." He couched down, forming a cup with his hands and allowing Leon to place his feet in it. He didn't wince at the pain of Leon's nails digging into his shoulders as he climbed up, he merely grunted and held Leon up high. For once, his strength was being put to use for something other than breaking people's necks.

"So tell me," Chris started, trying to keep his balance. "Were you born with a pole up your ass or was it inserted sometime after that because, fuck me, you're really up yourself."

Leon growled from his spot, placing his palms on the roof. "Now is really not the time for your attempts at sarcasm."

Chris let his head fall loosely back and forth between his shoulders before he looked up at his partner. A thought crossed his mind as to whether he should mock Leon, but he decided he couldn't resist. He prepared his voice before he started mimicking his partner: "My name is Leon and I don't smoke or do drugs because I'm perfect." He took in a deep breath, knowing already this would come back to bite him in the backside but he was certain things couldn't get much worse. "But I do get men drunk beyond belief and allow them to stick their dicks in my ass and then act like an asshole to them the next day even though they did _nothing _wrong."

"Hey!" Leon screamed, losing his balance and falling down with a loud bang, fortunately unharmed by the fall. "You came on to me," he spat, whacking Chris' hand away as he was offered help.

"Oh yeah?" Chris retorted, folding his arms and turning to the side. "I only did you because you were _clearly _gagging for it. You were the one that had it all planned. You even came prepared with lubricants and rubbers!"

Leon's face went red, but despite the truth he knew was in Chris's words, he still chose to clear his throat and proclaim "No I didn't!" at the top of his voice.

"Yes you did. I remember," he let out a huff, wanting desperately to take out a cigarette and light up but he failed to see how it could help his current situation. "I was drunk," he continued. "Drunk, that's all. I'm not some fucking Alzheimer's patient."

"This discussion is over," Leon stated defensively, moving closer to Chris, his face once again as pale as snow and his eyes locked onto Chris's.

Chris stared at Leon for a moment, his eyes squinting as he bit the side of his cheek. "Actually, no. It's not. You can't close a door and declare a conversation over. This isn't Fight Club. We can and will talk about this."

"What the fuck do you want me to say exactly? That I'm sorry? That I wish it had never happened?" He stopped, looking down at his own feet as Chris took in a sharp breath. "Or that I wanted more from you? That I still do?"

Chris felt a lump forming in his throat again and he fought to keep it down. Whether it was a man or a woman; an adult or a child, he couldn't help but sense when someone was vulnerable and it always silenced him, rendering him unable to comfort the person or make a comment.

"What exactly is it you want from me?" Leon looked up again, his teeth and fists clenched tightly as his emotions tiptoed on a tightrope between anger and hurt. He flexed his finger, jabbing it into Chris's chest with rage as he felt his outer defences tumble down. "I just wanted to do my job. I never even wanted you here, but you show up, invade my life and joke around like you do? You just put things out there in the open, not realising how they may affect another human being!" He accentuated each of his questions with a prod, forcing his partner backwards until he bumped into the wall.

"I-I don't know what to say," Chris stammered, looking taken aback once again by another of Leon's outbursts.

"Well this is a first. You seem to have an opinion on everything else, don't you? Why don't you just learn to _shut up _for once and keep your goddamn nose out of things that don't concern you? I was doing just fucking fine here in Italy, alone and away from men like you." He let his finger fall down, along with hand hands until they hung at his waist. "Why did you have to start things? Why couldn't you just leave me alone?"

Chris sucked on his bottom lip as he felt the guilt well up inside of him. He hadn't known that a simple kiss to the back of Leon's neck would cause this. He couldn't predict the future. He was always taught to act now; think later.

It was then that his mind escaped and his body took over. Before he knew it, his hands were on Leon's body, his finger's were tilting his chin up and their lips were pressed against each other.

Although Chris felt nervous, he couldn't deny how _right_ it felt to have the younger man clinging on to him as they kissed. He didn't want it to feel like this. He wanted it to be awkward so that they could both just back away from it, laugh it off and say "Wow, this is so not going to work". He could do that, he'd always found it easy but now, as they drifted out of the kiss, he knew that would be impossible.

"Well now, haven't you changed since I last saw you," Wesker's voice rang out throughout the room and both men snapped around. "Not only have you gained about fifty pounds but you've also become a flaming homosexual." He placed his clipboard under his arm and clapped his hands together as he moved forward, stopping a few feet from the cage.

Chris jumped forward, immediately running into Leon's arm as it ceased his movement. "Don't react to what he's saying. Keep calm," Leon muttered, his eyes on Wesker.

"As I said before, listening to your boyfriend is a good idea. Especially if you want to stay alive just a little bit longer." He took hold of his clipboard again, flipping a page over. "I have so much work to do, it's unbelievable."

"Well maybe you shouldn't have killed your employees then," Chris remarked snidely, scoffing.

Wesker pushed his sunglasses onto his head, rubbing his eyes. "I didn't kill them. I just changed them a little but you are correct in implying that I should have really kept one around, if only to sort out the paperwork." He walked over to the autopsy table, sighing deeply as he dropped his clipboard and ran his hand along the jawbone of the woman lying there. "Why did I kill you…"

"I think this guy might be slightly crazy," Leon said quietly, nudging Chris.

"You don't know the half of it," the older man replied, watching his old captain with eagle eyes

"I don't think I want to."

Chris let out a deep breath, watching Wesker as he strolled across the room and took a seat at one of the computers. "Ignorance is probably a preference when it comes to this psychopath."

-

Across the city, the boss of the B.S.A.A. stood in his office doorway, a cigar clutched between his teeth and his hands resting heavy on his heaving stomach.

"Dammit, where is my secretary!" He bellowed, kicking the desk before him, forcing a petite woman to come rushing across the room. "My wife was right when she told me that there was something unnatural about hiring a male for that job."

"I'm sorry, he told me to tell you that he needed to take another personal day and that I should fill in." She clutched a mass of papers within her thin arms, her hair messy and falling down from her originally neat ponytail, perfectly accentuating her stressed expression. "I've just been too busy to forward the message…" She left out that she resented the misogynist view put forward by the man's wife.

The boss huffed and turned away, his face reddening with anger. "Dammit, I need to get hold of the Hardy boys because I got some intel telling me that maybe all isn't as it seems down in that place…"

"Well I could probably get someone to find them but resources are short at the moment and-"

"Nah, I don't care that much. Trained professionals is what they are. They can deal with anything they run into and if they can't, well…ain't no one getting hurt. Kennedy is a recluse and that other guy…Redfield? He's just a doped up yank."

"Are you saying that if there is something wrong on their mission, we should just let them rot? Sir, this is highly unethical and I'm afraid that-"

"The only thing you should be afraid of, darling, is your expanding waistline."

She immediately looked offended and glanced down at her waist, which hadn't changed since she was twenty. As she looked up again, a blush on her face, she realised that her boss had not only dodged the question she has asked but had also left the room.

-

Wesker let out a long sigh, cracking his knuckles as if he was preparing for a fight. Instead of opening the cage and pouncing on either of them, he simply picked up his clipboard again. "You two play nice and sit tight for a while. Daddy has got some work to do, but I can assure you, I will be back as soon as possible so I can engage in a fun activity with you both."

Chris felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he heard each word. Wesker's voice sent shivers down his spine and he couldn't stop his body from displaying the obvious distress it felt by the mere presence of the older man.

"Are you okay?" Leon asked, cocking his head to the side and raising an eyebrow at his partner.

"He…just gives me the creeps a little now." He waited until Wesker had slipped out of the room before he moved into the centre of the cage. "He used to be so normal. He was someone you wanted to be around. Someone who you sought approval and acceptance from…you know, someone you idolised."

Leon regarded Chris for a moment, stroking his chin. He then moved around his partner and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sounds to me like you were smitten," he said bluntly with a smirk.

Instead of denying it or getting defensive like Leon had expected, Chris grinned for a moment before he chuckled heartily, nodding.

"Yeah, I guess I was a little." His voice was honest, as were his words and Leon was unsure of how to take his sincere attitude. He wasn't an open person. He would never just admit things. He would definitely never admit he'd once had a crush on a tyrant the way Chris did.

He shrugged it off, shaking his head clear of all thoughts.

"Give me a boost up there before he comes back."

"Can't we finish off what we started a moment ago?" Chris asked with a coy manner, nudging his partner gently but his strength made Leon stumble slightly.

"If you're talking about escaping from here then that's what I have planned if you'd just give me a boost."

"Cold, man," Chris hissed, crouching slightly and forming a cup with his hands, allowing Leon to place his foot in it. "Real cold."

A sharp intake of breath and tremendous strength on Chris's part found Leon with his palms firmly against the glass panel. With a punch and a push, the glass sheet came loose and Leon slid it onto the roof.

"Now, try and raise me above your shoulders," Leon said, his hands against the ceiling trying to keep his balance. He looked down at his partner to see his bicep muscles bulging, the veins in Chris's arms almost shaking as they tried to keep him up.

With a struggle, Leon managed to hoist himself up and out of the cage, scrambling onto his hands and knees. He looked down the hole at a flustered Chris, who was grinning like a mad man.

"Damn, I'm good," Chris remarked, flexing his muscles.

Leon flicked his hair and rolled his eyes. He slid his body down and lay flat, letting his arms fall down through the ceiling as far as he could allow. "Quickly, grab my hands," he said, knowing this would require more strength than he actually had.

Before Chris could even raise his arms up, he heard a noise that made the grin fall from his face. Snapping his head up, his eyes screamed before he could even formulate a word.

The door slowly slid open and Wesker slowly appeared.

He continued looking upwards at a distressed Leon waving his arms around frantically. Instincts kicked in as he whispered, "Run."

* * *

A/N: I was unsure as to which one of them to leave in the cage but I thought Wesker torturing Chris would go down better since I know that pretty much everyone has a soft spot for Mr. Kennedy and who wants to see him go one-on-one with Wesker? Well me, but I figured I'd treat you peeps nice and let him keep his beautiful face.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: So it seems like my beta is MIA at the moment so I bring you...a mess. No, I jest. I bring you my terrible attempt at trying to build some sort of tension in a story. I managed to talk myself out of adding a sex scene in here so you can all hate me right now. I was going to do one of those "hey, I'm dreaming about sex" things where it's not real but I decided I liked what I was writing too much and that when the time came, I wouldn't be able to write an actual one between Leon and Chris again because it wouldn't be as good as the dream one. This chapter is very here and there and all over the place but it will soon be wrapped up in a nice little package and then we can all join hands and rejoice!

Usual disclaimer applies, characters belong to Capcom. Thank you to all who review, I love you all and would like to give you all a little present, but I can't so I bring you this.

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Chapter Thirteen

"Seems like one of the little mice has managed to find a way out of the cage," Wesker remarked, pressing his hand against the glass and letting a satisfied smirk grace his face. "I really am going to have some fun today. Here was me thinking this was going to be such a mundane post. The game of cat and mouse has begun."

"You always talk with these stupid metaphors," Chris muttered, glaring at the older man with a venomous stare. "You are aware that by calling you a cat and us mice, you're implying that you're a pussy." He paused, amused by the look of anger washing over Wesker's face. "At least you know what you are. You're the biggest coward I've ever met. Always playing these fucking games and setting up traps and when it comes to actually taking me out, you've always failed."

Out of nowhere, Wesker slammed his fist into the glass, watching the shocked look on Chris's face turn into sheer terror as the inch thick glass cracked and collapsed with a loud bang. He shot across the room, jumping on Chris and pushing him down to the ground.

"Why must you always antagonise me?" Wesker sneered, lowering his face to Chris's and inhaling his scent with an animalistic manner to his action.

Chris struggled against the blonde, realising this was futile but it wasn't in his nature to resist. Before he could even hustle up enough strength to budge the older man, he felt a sharp prick into his thigh and he blacked out instantly, a simple moan falling from his lips.

-

Leon could feel his chest burning as he ran through the various interlinking corridors. The cold air mixed with the dust that lingered made it hard for him to catch his breath. He wasn't sure where he was anymore and he was starting to think he had been running in circles.

He had no weapon, no GPS and no radio. He was trapped but he knew he was in a more favourable situation than his partner. He couldn't even imagine what was happening to him.

Chris, he thought to himself, his heart feeling heavy. I shouldn't have left you; I know I shouldn't have. He needed to save his partner and he needed to do it fast.

It dawned on him instantly that there could be no one left to save by the time he got there. It also occurred to him that he could end up in a similar situation if he tried to rescue Chris.

But he needed to.

This was why he didn't have partners.

-

Wesker took a seat at one of his many computers, his eyes darting back and forth over the various windows he had open. Despite the mild inconvenience posed by his captive, he still has a job to do.

He inputted a number of codes before he stood up once again, turning off the monitor before he paced over the room and stopped at a large metal table.

He glanced down at the body on it, a smirk invading his emotionless face.

It hadn't been part of any plan to have Chris Redfield at his disposal but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Chris would prove to be a perfect specimen for the new strand of virus he had created. His base strength mixed with the disease would make a perfect creature for his experiment.

He pulled over a surgical trolley and took hold of one of the many injections lying there. Tapping Chris's forearm twice, he gently pushed the needle in, forcing the substance into his unconscious body.

-

The corridors all looked the same and Leon couldn't think straight. Had he gone right or left last time? He didn't remember. At one point, he had sensed that he was descending downwards but that couldn't be possible. After all, this bunker couldn't go that much deeper otherwise he'd soon reach the centre of the earth.

He took a breather, leaning against the wall. He allowed his body to sink down towards the ground, the concrete floor cold and uninviting. It was in his moment of solace that he heard a sound that sent chills up his spine.

He wasn't alone.

Before he could even work out what it could be, a growl came from the left of him and his head snapped around. Whatever had been in that cage before was out now and it was hungry.

He jumped to his feet, his lungs still heavy from his movements a moment ago but he knew he didn't have time to consider that. He started sprinting down the hallways, turning at every opportunity but he could hear the beast lumbering along behind him, clumsily hitting walls and yelping in pain with every knock.

He didn't feel sorry for the thing though. It was going to kill him in a matter of minutes. He knew this labyrinth would run out of passages eventually and with every turn, he could feel his impending doom slowly descending upon him.

-

Chris slowly opened his eyes, the florescent lights beaming down on him, causing his eyes to shy away from the burning rays. His head was pounding and his senses felt blurry.

It had become instantly obvious to him, as soon as he felt the sharp nick in his arm, that he had been drugged. He knew Wesker would play dirty, he always did. No matter how much Wesker changed physically, he never changed inside. He was still the same conceited tyrant.

He let his head fall to the side. He hadn't even registered Wesker stood beside him until he felt the man withdrawing a needle from his arm. He wanted to ask what he'd just been injected with but as he tried to speak, the only thing that came from his mouth was a string of vowels.

"What's that, Chris?" Wesker asked, discarding the injection and making a note on a chart.

The brunette took in a deep breath, his limbs tingling as he attempted to move against the restraints that held him in place. "Wesk…" His voice trailed off and he allowed his eyes to shut. He felt so tired.

"Well done, you can say my name...well, half of it. I would give you a medal but such things are pointless to a person in your situation," he muttered, pushing the cart away and dragging a small stool next to the table. He took a seat, taking hold of Chris's wrist with his right hand whilst looking at the watch on his left. "Your pulse is increasing, but not at an alarming rate. My suspicions are correct, you have proven to be quite the specimen. All of my other _volunteers_ were in cardiac arrest by now."

"I…" Chris began, opening his heavy eyes with difficulty. "What…" He took in another deep breath, exhaling slowly. "What do you mean?" He said in one breath, gulping hard after he had spoken.

"You really are dense," Wesker sighed, placing Chris's arm back on the table, tightening the restraints before he folded his arms and leaned back slightly. "I don't think you would even understand the concept of my research. Why should I bore you with the details of that when there are much more interesting things to discuss?"

"Like what?"

Wesker smirked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the metal surface, pulling his glasses down slightly so he could look over them, his red eyes glowing eerily. "Well, your homosexual tendencies for one."

Chris grit his teeth, his eyes burning with fury as he stared at Wesker now. The man was so calm and collected, how could he be like that after all he had done? He wanted to get up and tear the man limb from limb but he felt as weak as a kitten. He could barely even muster up enough strength to struggle against the restraints.

"I don't have any," he muttered, flailing slightly on the table. He felt stripped of everything but his garments. His dignity had long gone and right now, he wasn't above begging. He needed to find his partner and get out of here. "Please Wesker, just let me go."

"Oh come now, I just want a good gossip," Wesker slurred, his voice thick with curiosity. "Don't ruin it by pleading for your life and don't even try asking me not to kill your little girlfriend. We both know that the only thing that brings be greater pleasure than torturing you is torturing the people you love."

Chris felt his face flinch at the word when it was associated with Leon and he knew his old captain had picked up on it by the smirk now plastered on his face. He didn't even know how he felt about the other man as it was; he didn't want Wesker figuring out his feelings before he even had the chance to.

"Christopher, Christopher…Such a simple boy, aren't you? A little pretty thing comes into your life and you can't help but fall head over heels for it. Didn't you even think about the repercussions that canoodling with that little fairy would bring? After all, you know better than anyone that it is never wise to get too involved with one's comrades,.."

"Shut your trap," Chris shouted, struggling against the straps across his body. "You don't know anything about me. I can guarantee that Leon is out there now with a swarm of reinforcements. Your time is about to be over and as usual, you're spouting a bunch of nonsensical bullshit."

Wesker's eyes flickered for a moment, his lip twitching. "My, you're even more feisty than I remember." He got to his feet, walking alongside the table. His hand ran down Chris's body, his fingertips caressing every muscle hidden under the younger man's skin-tight shirt. "So tell me, what was it like having a man call out your name? I'm sure the noise was foreign to your ears."

"Much like the tripe you let flow from your mouth," Chris replied, tilting his head up slightly to watch the older man's fingers dance over his abs.

"You always were so rude. Does this Leon enjoy that part of you, or merely tolerate it? Or maybe he has yet to know that side of you. After all… you've not been here very long. It saddens me that you never really got a chance to enjoy Italian culture. Maybe if you'd decided to sightsee outside of the bedroom, you wouldn't be in this situation," he said in a low tone, his fingers slowly walking downwards until they trailed along the zipper of Chris's trousers. "Although, this has worked out quite well for me."

Chris bit down on his lip instantly, resisting Wesker's touch against him as he felt the palm of the older man press down gently onto his crotch.

"No protests? Maybe I can rouse a reaction out of you down here," he said with a vicious grin, groping somewhat tenderly.

"Great, so now you're gay? What's going to be next, tentacle monsters coming down from the ceiling to rape me?"

"Oh Christopher, when will you learn that when it comes to you, I always carry out everything personally." His fingers teased the fabric covering the zipper before he lightly took hold of the fly and tugged it down slowly. "Anyway, you know what the people say…" He slid his hand inside, his nimble digits darting through the opening of Chris's boxers. "When in Rome…"

-

Blood was rushing faster through his veins than it ever had before. The sheer speed was causing a headache to form in his right temporal lobe but that was the least of his worries. As he ran, his eyes darted from side to side, hoping to find some sort of weapon. A rifle, a shotgun, a dagger. Any would do but what were the chances of finding such a thing? Next to none.

He slid around the corner, knocking over a large pole and staggering forward. His head shot back and immediately, he picked it up. It was a technically a weapon, but only if you were a janitor.

He continued moving, the mop flopped around behind him as he clutched it in his hand. Time was running out and he knew it was a matter of seconds, rather than minutes, before this maze would come to the end of its path.

Speeding around another corner, he came to a sudden halt, faltering in his footsteps and falling backwards with brief relief.

He scrambled up, fear washing over him as he realised he was at an infinite dead-end. Snarling was behind him and in front of him lay what could only be called a bottomless pit from wall-to-wall.

A quick glance told him that this time, there was no ladder leading down, no rope, no ledge to hang onto.

He slowly turned around, face to face with the mutant. Its muscles were bugling, dripping with blood. Its eyes blood red and its teeth jagged. It was similar to what he and Chris had faced before, only more humanesque,

Now, it was either be devoured by a monster or fall to a sticky death. Looking down at his weapon, he hoisted it into both hands and steadied himself. If he was going to die, he was taking this thing with him.

He watched as the creature opened its mouth wide and let out a bloodthirsty roar before it launched itself towards Leon. It was now or never, he thought as he raised the pole up to his chest and stood his ground.

-

"This will probably be the last time you will enjoy such earthly pleasures," Wesker slurred as he wrapped his hand around Chris's cock, coaxing it to hardness in a matter of seconds, much to the distress of the other man. "After all, you won't exactly be of this world when I'm done with you."

"Get your hands off me, I won't become whatever you want me to be." He could feel the man running his hand along his erection and he bit back a moan. His blood was boiling, fuelled both by fury and lust. He couldn't be sure as to what it was that came over him. For all he knew, he had been injected with a strong dose of Viagra.

Wesker simply admired Chris's arousal for a moment before he hoisted himself up and onto the table, unable to stop the look of concern darting across his face as the table groaned under the weight of them both.

"You always have been a little obtuse. Do you honestly think I'd wait until after I've had my way with you to administer you with the virus? What do you take me for? I'm not some lackey, I'm the real deal." He took off his sunglasses, folding them up and placing them gently beside Chris's arm. "I have approximately two hours before you'll start turning into anything I can't handle and let us face facts, there isn't much I can't handle," he said, gripping the younger man's cock tighter.

Chris locked eyes with the older man, the feeling of tears overwhelming as he tried to hold them back but failed. He closed his eyes and felt one drip down his cheek. At the same time, a weight descended on his chest and he felt a warm tongue lap up what he thought would be his salty tears. However, as he opened his eyes, he could only see the world with a hint of red and he saw what he knew was blood dripping down from Wesker's lips.

* * *

A/N: Yes, Leon is armed with a mop. I know, it's funny. For any serious geeks reading, him having a mop is actually a nod to Final Fantasy VII because you can actually dig up a mop for Cid to use XD As for the situation with Wesker and Chris...think of it what you will. I bet you're all thinking I'm going to kill Leon off, having Chris transform and then have Wesker just emerge from the bunker and be all "Suck it, bitches!". That actually sounds like something I would do -_-; Thanks for reading and try to stay with me and my crazy story.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: This is kind of a long chapter so go grab a drink now. Maybe a snack too. Anyway! Thank you for all the lovely reviews. I really appreciate them. Also, my beta bitched and moaned about this chapter…she'll claim she didn't, but I could sense it.

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Chapter Fourteen

Leon found himself floored in a matter of seconds, the large snarling beast above him, kept only from squashing him by the wooden pole he gripped in his hands. He thrashed from side to side, narrowly avoiding the acidic drool that dripped down from the creature's mouth, its sharp teeth snapping at him and avoiding his face by an uncomfortable matter of centimetres.

He pushed his leg up, resting it in what he assumed was the creature's groin but it showed no signs of discomfort or pain by the placement of his foot.

"Come on, you piece of shit," he spat, kicking his legs up over and over but to no avail. Without any kind of sharp weapon, he knew it was futile to try and locate a weak spot. He lacked the upper body strength that would allow him to take advantage of any sort of disadvantage the mutant could have and even if he was built like his partner, he was hardly in the kind of situation to utilise any kind of upper hand he could have.

He felt his body being pushed further and further towards the edge, his wrists going weak as the beast continued to wrestle with him. He thought fast, raising both legs up and digging them into the creature's stomach. It was all or nothing.

With as much strength as he could muster, he pushed his legs up, forcing the mutant to topple over and behind him. He scrambled to the side, watching as it clawed at the ledge, hanging on for dear life. For a moment, he felt a surge of guilt but as he got to his feet, he remembered he had a job to do. Holding the mop in the air, he struck the creatures claws, sending the animal jumping off the ledge and away from the source of pain and inevitably, falling to its demise.

Brushing himself off, he composed himself. His head was pounding and his heart was racing but his mind quickly forgot about what had just happened as soon as he remembered why he was running.

Chris.

No matter what the other man had implied, he had to save him. Trying to get out and signal reinforcements would be pointless. He had no radio, no weapon and he knew how often people came along the dirt road the bunker was located on…which was never.

He was on his own with this and he knew that. Luckily, he was used to being alone and knew how to save his own skin whilst keeping his mind on the prize.

-

Chris could hear everything around him and most alarmingly, the bloodcurdling shriek that echoed throughout the lab. His senses were heightened and his vision still red. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins, his heartbeat irregular and his brain feeling tight in his skull. He tilted back his head, allowing his jaw to hang loose as he cried out, both to the sensation running through his veins and that of Wesker's hand stimulating him still.

"My, you really are reacting well to this. Normally, I'd be either performing an autopsy by now or locking you in a cage."

"Look, if you're going to rape me, get it over and done with. I'm past caring right now. I just want you to shut the fuck up," Chris hissed, lashing around in the restraints. Wesker's voice antagonised him beyond belief.

Wesker let a thoughtful smirk take over his features. "Oh, I don't think I want to spoil you. After all, then you would be the victim. I want to make you feel shame. I want to make you feel…" He leaned over again, grinding his body against Chris's as he snaked his way up to the younger man's ear. "…Dirty," he sneered, clamping down on the brunette's earlobe.

Chris grunted, allowing his head to fall to the side. This wasn't happening. He could take physical punishments. He had taken them and he'd come out on top but this, this he couldn't handle. He could feel Wesker's body against his, their erections brushing against each other as the older man slithered on top of him, his snake like movements forcing him to stifle a moan.

"You're so stubborn, you really should allow yourself to feel this last earthly pleasure," Wesker slurred, running his tongue along Chris's jawbone.

-

Leon wasn't sure what had possessed him to do it but he was regretting it. He was sweating rivers as he crawled through the cramped air vent once again.

It had seemed like a good idea. After all, running unarmed into a room to rescue Chris wasn't a desirable option, but then none of the ones he could think of were. So he had clambered into one of the lower air vents and hoped that he would luck out.

He continued to slide through the metal vent, his trousers and shirt catching on every jagged edge but he didn't stop to check it. He had to find his partner before it was too late.

He had been ascending slightly and as he passed every grate, he paused to look out of it. The same sight could be seen through all of them: dirty laboratories and storage rooms. That was all. He knew he was lost and there was no point in even trying to navigate based on where he had already been on the ground. The vent system was completely different to the layout of a building. Sure, they followed some basic patterns but unless he had blueprints, there would be no way to navigate his way out.

All that helped him right now was the clean trail he had left as he crawled through the dirt and grime that coated the vents after not being maintained for years. At least he knew where he had already been, which made his chances of finding a way out much easier. However, if only it was that simple and he was actually looking for a way out.

Being alone with his thoughts had given him too much time to think. He was compromising the mission and his own beliefs to get Chris back. "The mission always comes first," he whispered, feeling a slight breeze on the left side of his face as he stopped at the intersection, the choice of three paths before him.

If he went left, he would get out eventually. The breeze had to be coming from an external source since so far below the ground there was nothing but recycled air.

He started moving his body left before he stopped, cursing under his breath before turning back. He couldn't just leave the bastard...

Now faced with only two paths, he placed his head down against the metal, waiting for something, if anything, to signal which way he should go. It was then that he heard a cackle reverberating down the vent from the path in front of him.

With a deep sigh, he forced back his instincts and crawled forwards, desperately trying to drown out his own thoughts as he scuttled along.

This was insane. Chris himself had told him to flee. He tried to convince his brain that he needed evidence of what was happening down there, but his aching heart told him the only thing he wanted to retrieve was his partner.

He felt stupid. To fall for a comrade like this after such a short time, and for such an unavailable one at that. Not only did he live in America but he was also not gay, despite the fact they may have spent the night together. Sex was one thing but the emotional aspect he would require from a lover would be something he doubted Chris could fulfil.

Leon shook his head. There wasn't even anything between them. He was thinking too much into this. Pursuing anything romantic with Chris would only result in him being hurt, he knew that... but he still couldn't stop himself from feeling flushed when the older man popped into his head.

He was dragged back to reality as he heard the volume of laughter increasing. It was then that he arrived as a grating and he could see the source of it.

The blonde man was atop his partner but he couldn't see exactly what he was doing. He could see Chris's face contorted, his limbs strapped down by restraints. He could also see blood running down his face but where it was from wasn't clear from the distance he was at.

He clenched his fist, gritting his teeth. He wanted to kick the grate and jump down but that would be ridiculous because then they'd both end up being carted out in body bags. He carried on going, deciding to not go in there, guns blazing…

He closed his eyes. _If only I had a gun that I could do that with_, he thought.

He looked back through the grate one last time, his heart pining for the older man as he saw him just lying there, his face full of expressions he couldn't understand, before he crawled along to the next room.

-

Chris couldn't believe what was happening to him. Why was Wesker torturing him like this? It didn't make sense. At this point, he would welcome a blade to his gut. He could feel his body enjoying the older man's hand around his cock and he knew that if Wesker continued his ministrations, he would have an orgasm and he didn't want to give the other man that satisfaction.

"Stop this now," Chris groaned, struggling against the straps again but to no avail.

Wesker looked up at him, smirking. "Oh seriously Chris, you're like a stuck record. You're going to die soon, do you understand that?" He asked, not waiting for an answer. "Allow me to do something nice for you."

"You have a sick idea of what's nice," Chris replied, his teeth suddenly aching. Before he knew it, he tasted a metallic flavour in his mouth and as he ran his tongue along his gums, all he could taste was blood. "What the fuck is happening to me?"

Wesker tilted his head to the side as he reached up and pushed two fingers into Chris's mouth, lifting his lip up to inspect his teeth. "My, you certainly are responding fast."

He suddenly jumped from the table, leaving Chris's erection hanging out of his trousers as he wandered over the computer and took a seat.

With every keystroke, Chris became less aroused; more agitated. How could this man do this? He couldn't help but feel slightly rejected, despite how absurd the thought seemed. He was a simple man when it came to his thoughts and feelings. The world was very black and white to him. It was either good or bad.

"Seems like I have less time than I thought," he murmured, stroking his chin as he spun around on chair. "I'll be back in a moment, try not to go anywhere," he sneered, amused by his own words.

Time elapsed as he laid there, the blood coursing through his veins no longer felt like his own. He was starting to feel different. The restraints suddenly felt so much tighter; the pain coming from his teeth unbelievable but one feeling washed over him that he couldn't deny.

He was hungry.

He closed his eyes tight, trying to ignore every sensation in his body, but he couldn't. His mind was now overflowing with loud noises. What should have been the quiet humming of a computer now sounded like an earthquake.

The door opened again and he waited for that thick voice to say more nonsensical tripe but instead, no human voice came.

He kept his eyes closed until he felt a tug at the straps covering his body. They snapped open, the sound of the restraints clicking open sounding like the slamming of a door. It was then that he saw the one person he didn't want to see him like this.

"Leon, what are you doing? I told you to get out of here," he whispered, unsure as to where Wesker was.

"I couldn't leave you behind," Leon replied, working on the straps across his legs until his partner was free. "You need to get up and move."

Chris watched as Leon did up his trousers, wondering exactly what he was thinking but there wasn't time to bring that up.

"Wesker…" He mumbled, swinging his body around. "He injected me with something…"

"We can deal with that later. We need to get out of here."

Leon was already across the room, grabbing their weapons and loading them. Chris staggered to his feet, struggling to get to Leon before he placed his hand on his shoulder. "You don't understand. Whatever he is developing down here is in me."

"Chris, I need you to live," Leon said with a serious tone, looking Chris directly in the eye, trying to ignore how his partner looked. "Whatever is wrong, we have doctors who can treat it."

Chris took hold of the shotgun that was thrust at him before shook his head. "You don't get it. We can't escape together. You need to leave whatever way you came in… There is no way we can beat this man."

"I can't leave you behind, dammit!" Leon yelled, suddenly losing his cool. "Whatever vendetta you have can be sorted another time. You need medical help and I can't lose another partner."

"What I have in me could turn me into one of those creatures! I don't want to hurt you," Chris exclaimed, his ears ringing and his eyes burning. He felt every muscle in his body tense up as he followed Leon. He quickly grabbed his partner's hand, spinning him around. "Leave me and save yourself."

Leon sighed, placing his gun in his holster. He looked up at Chris, trying to ignore the streaks of blood that had been wiped across his face. He ignored the red sheen across his eyes as he reached up, wrapping his arms around the older man's neck, and brought him down for a kiss.

He swallowed the worrying taste of blood as he delved his tongue into Chris's open mouth, revelling in the reaction of his partner as he felt strong hands grip his back and pull him closer.

"Oh you two really are pathetic," Wesker's voiced echoed throughout the room and they both instantly snapped around, drawing out their guns.

"What the fuck have you put in him?" Leon shouted, causing Chris to flinch. The past few moments had shown more of Leon's emotions than he had seen his entire time in Rome.

Wesker rolled his eyes, discarding the clipboard he was now holding onto a nearby desk. "What I put in him wasn't nearly as exciting as what Chris wanted me to put in him, was it now?" He asked, looking over at Chris. "But we don't have time to joke… however, I think we have time to play a game. How about I give you two a head start and we can play a little game of hide and seek?"

He gestured to the open door behind the couple, a smirk gracing his features as he perched himself on the edge of the desk.

"What's the catch? You're going to risk us escaping?" Leon asked, a confused look on his face. He slowly shifted backward, his eyes pleading with Chris's motionless body to move but he was frozen.

Wesker placed his palms down on the desk and leaned backwards slightly, exhaling deeply. "No catch at all," he mumbled, stretching out his legs before he let them swing loosely back and forth. "Well, unless you class the possibility – nay, the certainty of Chris ripping you apart limb from limb in about…" he cast a glance at his watch before raising his head again and smirking. "Half an hour? I'm not actually too sure but I think that is what will make this game more fun!" He said smugly, clapping his hands in mock excitement.

Leon clenched his teeth, still aiming his gun at Wesker as he teetered forward slightly. He stopped as soon as he felt his arm brush against Chris', his skin burning hot.

He cleared his throat. "Lure him out, make him chase us and you follow me."

"What was that?" Wesker asked, fazing interest although he knew that nothing they exchanged could be of great importance. Even if they had a plan, they wouldn't be able to carry it out. There was no way to save Christopher, he was confident of that. "Proposing a plan?"

Chris felt a surge of pain run through his body as he shifted backwards. "Just shut up for once in your damn life."

"Take every left turn," Leon whispered, allowing his hand to fall down to his side. Taking his eyes off Wesker for a moment, he looked at his partner as he slid his hand into Chris's and squeezed gently.

"There's no use but I do enjoy a good game. Perhaps this will make it more interesting though."

In a flash, Leon had turned and left the room but Chris remained, his hand tingling with the sensation left from the warmth of his partner's palm. He could feel his blood boiling; his skin crawling as he stood there, one hand gripping onto the shotgun.

"Oh, this will be fun. Aren't you going after him?"

Chris staggered slightly before he threw the weapon to the ground and let out a cry. "Go screw yourself. Leon is getting out of here. As for you and me? We're going to end this right now."

Wesker jumped to his feet. "Hmm, I don't suppose you realise exactly what is happening to your body right now. I always forget that your mind is somewhat… lacking in the intelligence department." He slid off his blood spattered lab coat, allowing it to fall to the floor, momentarily distracting Chris as he took it upon himself to charge across the room.

Before Chris could register either event, he collided with the wall, every section of his body on fire as he felt rage bubbling up inside. He had to finish this and he knew that what Wesker said was true, his brain was lacking but he knew that Leon's wasn't.

He raised his arm up, shoving Wesker off himself with strength he didn't know he possessed. He watched his old captain fly across the room. Their strengths were matched now.

With haste, he turned around and followed the path that Leon took. He couldn't remember exactly what his partner had said but it didn't matter. He could smell him in the air. With every turn, he staggered, his palms slamming onto the walls for support.

His nail beds stung. It felt as though someone was taking a pair of pliers to them, ripping each nail off one by one. He crouched down for a moment, his head feeling as though it was about to explode and before he knew it, he felt a foot in his back and he was facedown on the floor again.

"Playing dirty Wesker?" He snarled, pushing himself up and turning around to see a somewhat flustered Wesker,

"Me? Dirty?" He asked sarcastically, sliding his hands under his arms and withdrawing two guns. "Never…" He fired numerous bullets into the air before he discarded one, allowing his now free hand to reload before delivering a swift blow to Chris's jaw line.

Chris hissed, shaking his head. He wanted to fight but he couldn't resist Leon's nagging voice in his mind. He trusted his partner with his life…but could he trust a plan he didn't know about? However, his arms started moving on their own and before he knew it, he had Wesker pinned against the wall and he was pounding into his stomach over and over until he felt the skin break on his knuckles.

He grit his teeth, letting out a scream before he dropped Wesker and started running again. Whatever was inside him, he was failing to control it. Now he just wanted to kill. He could smell his own blood dripping from his hands and he wanted more.

"Come back here, Christopher. I don't know where you think you're going," Wesker shouted, punctuating his words with a gunshot.

Chris continued running, his feet numb. He could smell Leon close and for a moment, he was certain he could hear his breathing but he wasn't sure if it was his partners of his own. It felt as though he had developed a second pair of lungs inside his ribcage.

He could sense Wesker growing increasingly closer. Was he slowing down or was Wesker speeding up? His eyes darted back and forth and he was unable to handle his vision any longer. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to just sprint further into the labyrinth.

"You should embrace this. Your futile existence has finally proved worthwhile. You're going to change the world. Don't waste this opportunity."

"Shut up!" Chris yelled, snapping his hands over his ears.

He turned around another corner and before he could register anything new to his senses, he was on the ground and all that he could hear around himself was a hail of gunfire, followed by a rough scrambling around. He tried to open his eyes but they wouldn't budge. He couldn't feel anything. Was his body acting on its own now?

Leon shot into his head. The thought that he himself could attack Leon crossed his mind. He cried out, trying to force his eyes open and it was then that a small stream of light flooded his pupils. The sight before him slowly came into focus and he saw Leon stood up, his handgun aiming downwards at a set of hands.

Wesker clung onto the edge of the hole, trying desperately to climb back up but failing as the smooth walls simply caused his limbs to slip and slide.

"What the fuck have you done to him?" Leon spat, looking down on Wesker.

"Nothing that he didn't deserve," he replied with a laugh, dropping one hand and raising his ankle up. In one swift movement, he swiped his free hand around.

Before Leon had even registered Wesker's quick movements, a shot was fired out and the knife in the blonde man's hand fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding Leon's foot. Instinct kicked in, and Leon fired out two shots, hitting Wesker in the shoulder and he cried out, the hand he was using to hold on suddenly going to his arm.

Leon scooped his arm down, naturally trying to save another life form but he missed the older man's hand and he could only watch in shock as the man seemed to lie suspended in midair for a moment before he descended into darkness.

"Leon…" He heard his name called to the left of himself, and he snapped his head around to see Chris lying on the ground, panting heavily, drenched in sweat and holding a smoking gun.

He glanced once more into the pit, making sure there was no sign of life before he rushed over to the side of his partner. He reached out, tenderly wiping the moisture from his face with his hands. He gazed into the other man's eyes, unable to stop a look of horror passing over his face as he saw his eyes blood red. It was then that he pulled him into an embrace, holding Chris tight.

Chris was irradiating temperatures he was sure would shatter any thermometer but he didn't care. All he could concentrate on was the fact that he was still alive and in his arms.

"You need to go. I…" Chris started, clinging onto the younger man. "I can't control myself," he said with an exhausted tone, trying to hold back his urges.

"Not without you."

"Please…" He muttered. "I'm going to hurt you and I don't want to."

Leon took in a deep breath, fighting back his own common sense. He could feel Chris's skin convulsing against him as he held him close. His fingers clutched onto his partner and he could feel him slowly slipping away.

"I'm not going to let you die."

* * *

A/N: Lamest 'death' ever. Anyway, now we have the formality that is Wesker out of the way…oh yes, you guys know what is coming. I've said before that my action scenes suck but what will come soon…well…-insert evil laugh-.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Yeah, it has been two whole months since an update but you'll notice that you also have two chapter alerts in your beautiful email in boxes that have been longing for my notifications. Along with university kicking my butt, my mother is really sick at the moment and since I seem to be the only person on this planet that cares, I've had little time to myself to do anything. Anyway, we're all adults here (...if you're not, we'll pretend you are) so I'm sure you all understand. So...shall we continue the story? I dislike this chapter and my beta was less than impressed with it...but we both agreed that I'd wrote myself into a corner so hopefully, someone will like it.

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Chapter Fifteen

Leon carried Chris's unconscious body in his arms as he walked down the corridors. He could see his partner's skin turning an unsavoury shade of red, the veins on his biceps protruding and his skin radiating an unnatural heat.

He could feel a sharp pain in his own right shoulder. Had he been shot at some point? He couldn't remember. Right now, all he cared about was the man he was holding.

Charging through the laboratory door, he gently placed Chris onto a table before he ran over to the glass cabinet on the wall. Just by glancing at it, he could see it was locked. Taking in a deep breath, he punched the pane, allowing him full access to the numerous vials within. He ignored the blood that instantly streamed from his fresh wounds.

His eyes darted across the labels. He didn't even know what virus or disease was inside Chris. How was he supposed to choose something to cure him? Whatever he picked put Chris at risk but he couldn't just leave him. His body was changing rapidly yet his pulse was declining. He didn't know how long he had left. He just needed something to buy some time.

"Come on…" He muttered, grazing his finger over the small vials before he took in a deep breath and took hold of the only vial with a green label. Colours were all he could rely on right now since the chemical equations on the labels were nonsense to him. Green was healing, as far as his training told him. The majority of the others had red or black labels, and a couple had blue but green was the safest bet.

He took hold of one of the needle packets, biting down on the edge of the bag and tearing it open, catching the needle in his hand. He swiftly punctured the top of the vial, drawing out a small amount of liquid as he rushed back across the room.

Brushing the hair back on Chris's face, he sighed. "I'm sorry I've been such an ass to you," he muttered, running his fingers down his partner's face, pausing at his lips before he shook his head and took hold of his arm.

Not knowing exactly what he was doing, he pushed the needle into the skin, injecting the liquid.

"You didn't deserve it. You were just trying to be nice…" He discarded the needle, moving back up to his partner's face again. "And I just pushed you away like you were some terrible…meal. If you were awake, I'm sure you'd mock me for my terrible metaphor or joke about how you're delicious or something." He leaned down, placing a chaste kiss on Chris's lips.

Part of him had hoped Chris would wake up from the shot but he remained motionless. He eagerly stared at his eyelids, waiting for a flicker but nothing. He placed his head on his partner's chest, listening to his heart. It was nothing but a dull beat.

He hated to admit it to himself as he laid his head Chris's body but it pained him to see his partner in such a state. He couldn't believe his mind as he wished to have the old Chris back. He'd give anything to have him up and about, teasing him like he had done in the past.

"Please… wake up" He uttered, rubbing his face into Chris's shirt before he stood back up again. Carefully, he lifted him from the table and hoisted him onto his left shoulder. The dead weight caused him to stagger as he made his way out of the lab but he prevailed, swaggering from side to side as he retraced his footsteps to the exit.

It wasn't until he arrived at the large ladder that he couldn't help but let out a sigh of frustration. He'd hoped he'd come back around but if anything, Chris's heartbeat was slowing down.

His mind flashed back to the last time he climbed the ladder whilst carrying his partner. He had been more interested in the heat radiating from Chris's body; the feel of his muscles against his back but now… all he could think about was seeing him wake up. He just wanted to hear his partner's voice again.

He slid Chris down onto the ground, placing his hands on his hips for a moment as he stared up at the tall ladder. It was hard enough carrying a conscious Chris up it but with his partner in a comatose state? He doubted it would be possible without using some sort of initiative.

His eyes darted around, looking for something to use but there was nothing, unless he could fashion a harness out of dust.

With an exhausted sigh, he slid his belt from his trousers. This had seemed like a stupid idea when he'd thought of it but now, it was the only thing he could do. He held the belt for a moment, taking off his own t-shirt. It was then that he noticed his own body was covered with blood, and oddly enough, he had the feeling it was his own. He crouched beside his partner, pushing his belt underneath Chris's before he once again laced it through the two belt loops on the back of his trousers, attaching them at the waist. He didn't have time to care about his own injury...or injuries, he noted as blood continued to seep from the open wounds on his hand.

He hoisted Chris up onto his back, adjusting the unconscious body so it hung from his shoulder's like a sack of potatoes. Then, he pulled Chris' arms around his neck and tied them together at the wrists with his shirt.

It wasn't ideal but then again, nothing about this entire mission had been. It hadn't been ideal to go into a bunker without reinforcements. It hadn't been ideal to get caught in a glass cage. It definitely hadn't been ideal to crawl around in an air vent and the most unideal thing had been getting Chris nearly killed... although he was hardly alive as it was.

Leon began climbing the ladder, unable to stop the flushed sensation washing over his body as he felt Chris's muscles press against his naked back again. This wasn't helping his mind differentiate and understand his feelings for the other man. He wanted Chris to survive, but why? Sure, he always wanted his partners to live through their missions, but he'd never felt like this before.

Although, of course, he hadn't slept with his other partners.

He wasn't immature enough to think that it was love. Sex didn't equal love and it never would. Just because they had been intimate... He shook his head. That didn't mean a thing as far as Leon was concerned. However, despite these thoughts, he couldn't help but think that he wanted to be more with Chris. More than just work partners. More than just his back-up and vice versa.

It wasn't until he arrived at the top and laid down Chris's limp body that he realised that yes, he did want to be more with Chris. He did want the man to be part of his life but he couldn't even properly process his feelings right now. There were more pressing matters at hand.

He quickly slung Chris back up again. He didn't want this to be taken away from him before he even had a chance to screw it up on his own accord. He hated it when decisions were made for him and he was certain that Chris wasn't a fan of it either.

"Come on Chris, you have to make it… even if it is to laugh in my face and reject me," he felt a lone tear fall down his cheek as he picked up the pace and burst into a slow jog, feeling Chris's body rub against him again. "I don't care what you'd say, just so long as you say something again."

-

Leon carefully dropped Chris's body down onto the dusty ground. The sun was setting and there was a chill in the air. As he expected, there was no one around for as far as his eyes could see. Part of him had hoped a truck would pass… but he couldn't even see the dirt tracks from anything that had gone by. The place was a dead zone. That was why Wesker had chosen it.

He quickly slid out his radio, panic stricken as it displayed the same "no signal" warning that it had the entire time they had been underground.

With much despair, he crouched down beside Chris, pulling him close and trying to keep him warm in the dusk cold. He didn't care that his own torso was naked or that his shoulder was still bleeding. The heat from his skin would help. He could always survive a chill and a simple wound.

A beeping sound made Leon snap the radio up. A signal appeared, as strong as ever. He quickly held down the 1 button and weakly raised it to his ear.

-

The boss of the BSAA stormed into his office, slamming the door with anger before he fell into his chair. He lit up a cigar, stressfully puffing on it. It wasn't that he was overworked, far from it. It was that he seemed to miss out on every single piece of information that conversed around the office.

He wasn't one for gossip but he liked to be told when his own secretary left and was replaced. It was something he felt he had the right to know.

Replacements didn't know his men, hell, he found it hard enough to know them himself. After all, men in this line of business were expendable but he'd be damned if he'd let something happen to the American imports. Kennedy was his best agent and he would be lying if he said he didn't have a soft spot for the kid. He knew his wife was certainly a fan of him. Whether it was his boyish good looks or his polite manner, he was certain that when they were making love, his wife was certainly not thinking about him anymore.

As he took another drag on his cigar, the phone rang. He allowed it to ring once then twice before he lazily picked up.

The person on the other end of the line spoke so fast that it took him a moment to work out what the problem was.

In a split second though, it all came together and he jumped to his feet, dropping his cigar and leaving the phone hanging down from the desk.

He ran to the door, flinging it open before he inhaled deeply and boomed commands at the entire office who stared at him for a second before they quickly got to work, all of them reaching for their telephones and barking similar commands.

-

Leon felt weak as he laid his head down on Chris's chest. Chris's shirt was instantly saturated by his blood again, the original colour of the shirt lost. He didn't even have the effort to look at his own injuries. He wasn't sure whether it was physical fatigue or not. He could feel Chris's heart slowing down. It felt as though as his partner was slipping away, so was he. He was emotionally exhausted.

"I bet you are the kind of guy that always wanted to go out with a big bang." He closed his eyes, allowing his hands to rest on Chris's skin. It was getting colder by the second. He could almost sense both of their lives drifting away into the breeze.

He pressed his face into his partner's chest. He could only hear his own heavy breath now.

A flood of dirt suddenly washed over them both as they lay there. Leon opened his right eye, unable to focus as he saw a swarm of black rushing towards him. Before he could even attempt to understand what was happening, he fell unconscious.

* * *

A/N: Zoom, helicopters and men picking them up etc.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The distinct beeping of a heart monitor was all that welcomed Leon as he came round. He didn't feel like opening his eyes at all.

He felt useless. He couldn't even remember what had happened. He'd passed out, of that he was certain. Other than that, his mind was blank. How had they been rescued?

His body was suddenly bolt upright and his eyes snapped open. He glanced around frantically, noting all the wires protruding from his body. He was alone in a single room. The windows were shut tight but the door was slightly ajar.

Falling back into his bed, he let out a long sigh. Was he in a single room because his boss had decided to fork out for single rooms for him and Chris? Or was it because there was only him left… He shook his head, sitting up and swinging his body around. Chris was still alive, he could sense it.

He gently pulled the wires from his skin, discarding them with little grace before he stood up on uneasy legs. His body ached but his head felt even worse. No, not his head. He raised his hand to his chest, placing his palm over his heart.

A simple glance at the day calendar on his wall told him that two days had passed. Had he been asleep for that long? He couldn't remember waking up at all. It was then that he noticed that the year read 2008. Unless he'd gone back in time, he couldn't even estimate how long he'd been out. He was certain he hadn't woken up and if he had been in a coma at all, someone would have at least been looking over him but as he approached the door, he could see no nurses at all.

He slipped out, closing the door as he moved into the hallway. His hospital gown rustled as he shuffled along the corridor. It was cold and the air was stale, the disinfectant smell stinging his nostrils. The bandages on his shoulder and hand were itchy and he wanted to rip them off, however, as he moved his hand to pull at them, he found what his heart was looking for.

Making sure the coast was clear; he slid into the room, closing the door behind himself.

In the bed, he saw his partner, hooked up to more machines than he'd ever seen in his entire life. Bags of liquids hung on metal holders, monitors bleeped with life while Chris lay there motionless.

He grabbed a blanket from the shelf, placing it on the chair beside the bed before he took a seat. He placed his hands together, clasping them as he stared at Chris. He was still alive, but only just. He was breathing and eating through a tube.

Placing his hand on Chris's arm, he closed his eyes. Was it his fault? He wasn't sure but he blamed himself either way.

"You're not supposed to be here!" A woman shouted at Leon from behind him.

Leon hadn't even heard her come in. He craned his neck around to see a slim, petite woman with dusky skin. She was beautiful and he wished Chris were awake. He was certain his partner would enjoy knowing that such a woman was giving him sponge baths.

"You're not going to tell on me, are you?" He asked coyly, putting on a front. He might not be interested in women but that didn't stop women having a soft spot for him.

She retained her harsh expression as she moved into the room but as she laid eyes on the way Leon had his hand on Chris's arm, her face softened. "Your secret is safe with me. You're Kennedy, right?"

"Leon," he said with a nod, squinting to see the nurse's name tag read 'Loren'. "Is he…I mean, will he…"

Loren tilted her head for a moment. She already knew the prognosis for the man in the bed and it didn't look good. Miracles had happened before, she had seen her fair share of men brought back from the brink of death but she had been scalded in the past for giving relatives hope. She took in a deep breath. She hated to do this to a man that was clearly in despair but she had to.

"It's too early to tell," she said blandly with a thick Italian accent. A mandatory response for patients that had little chance of recovery. She moved up to Chris's head and adjusted the pillows before she tapped on the IV wire.

Leon simply watched as she went about her business. He knew exactly what she meant. He wouldn't bother pressuring her for information. What good would it do? It wouldn't make Chris better.

"You can have five minutes, then I want you back in your bed," she said calmly, placing a hand on Leon's shoulder before she left.

Her perfume continued to linger in the air after she closed the door. Leon knew the scent. It was lavender. It reminded him of his own mother and although his heart was in turmoil, he felt relaxed for a moment.

He stood up, leaning down to kiss Chris on his cheek. He had expected him to jump up and shout something like "Ha! I made you care about me!" but he didn't. Instead, he just lay there, his chest moving up and down with the aid of the machines.

Had what he's injected Chris with made him worse? Glancing at the door again, he grabbed the chart at the end of the bed. The majority of it made no sense to him. Names of drugs and dosages were of no interest. He gazed down at the multitude of tests they had performed on Chris since he had been admitted. It spanned over the first page and went onto a second.

He put it back, his head spinning with medical phrases. The doctors didn't know how to treat him, as made clear by the multiple dosages of anything that wouldn't disagree with Chris' system. He didn't know any better though. He wouldn't be able to help him at all. All he could do would be to hope for the best... and in the state Chris was in, he wasn't even sure if surviving was the best.

-

Leon had been conscious in his bed for two days before he decided that he couldn't stand it anymore. The beeping of the monitors had been driving him insane but it was the stale smell that drifted in every time the door open that finally pushed him over the edge.

He put on his clothes, ignoring his injuries and the nurse that happened to be walking past his room. He walked past the doctors who gave him a second glance before he jumped into the first cab he saw outside the hospital.

The only thing he felt as the taxi sped away from the hospital was guilt. He hadn't gone to see Chris again and hadn't even left a message for him in case he woke up. He couldn't do it. It pained him to see the man like that. He knew he felt something deep for the man and he was embarrassed that he could fall for such an obnoxious guy so quickly. It wasn't like him at all.

He gave directions to his own home to the driver before he sat back and watched the world pass him by.

-

The light on the answering machine was flashing when Leon broke into his own house. He had lost his set of keys and his only spare ones were inside his home.

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting. After all, he had no friends but deep down, he had hoped that someone had noticed him disappearing for a few days. As he pressed the button, he realised the only person that cared was his boss, and even then that was all technical.

"Leon, report back to me as soon as you get this message or your skinny ass is gonna be out of a job and with that goes your health benefits and you ain't seen hell until you see a public hospital"

He let out a long sigh, deleting the single message. Every time he returned from a mission, it dwelled on him that he still didn't think of his house as home. He had come to Rome in hopes of finding himself. Having been told by many associated that it was the once in a lifetime opportunity, he'd simply left it all behind… not that he had exactly the ideal life in America.

Friends were few, lovers even fewer. At least in Italy, he had been given the chance to be free of judgement from the colleagues he had to work with. Here, he was able to start fresh but now. Now he had fallen for an American. If things would work out, he'd end back in the same place he started off.

He wandered out onto the patio, staring down at his pool. He could still picture Chris's nude form swimming and climbing out of it. It was still so vivid in his mind and it continued to stir the same feelings within.

"God, I'm such a kid," he said aloud, flopping down onto one of the loungers he had beside his pool.

Had it been that long since he'd felt something for a human being? It felt like forever and now his feelings for Chris were amplified…

Why did he feel for Chris? The man was a brute by all standards. He was messy, clumsy and had no sense of privacy or respect. He spoke with his mouth full. He was annoying to the point where Leon wanted to rip his hair out.

On the other hand, he was a likeable guy. He was open and honest and full of conviction. He was sexy and despite his inexperience, he was good in bed… or against a wall.

He was everything he hated in a man. He never thought he'd have feelings for someone who was the exact opposite of what he wanted. An intelligent man with a sense of style was what he had envisioned in his future; well read and interested in the theatre… He doubted Chris could tell the difference between Blood Brothers and Band of Brothers.

Leon allowed himself to sink into the chair. He wasn't even sure why he was trying to work out his feelings. The man was on a tightrope between life and death and he knew Chris didn't have the greatest balance. If he admitted his feelings and lost Chris, the pain would be unbearable. If he admitted them and Chris came round and rejected him, the pain would be even worse.

He stared at the rippling water. Every time he thought of Chris, his body yearned for his touch. He wished he'd had the guts to advance on him whilst sober. He hated the thought that he might have just been a drunken fuck to his partner. He had so many regrets as to how that night had panned out, not to mention the next morning.

Despite that, it had felt good. The way he had been so dominating. Part of him wondered as to whether another encounter with him would be like that. Would it be awkward? Or would it be more tender… He thought this with a smile, allowing his hand to slip down onto his stomach, sliding southwards and into his trousers.

If he admitted his feelings for Chris and he reciprocated, he could bet that he was a gentle lover. He cautiously dipped his hand further. He didn't want to touch himself whilst thinking about a man who was lying in a coma a few miles away but he was overcome with arousal as he thought about his partner. He longed for Chris to be the one touching him but he wasn't here.

He flipped his trousers open with his free hand, shooting his eyes around the patio to make sure he truly was alone before he began fondling himself, teasing his own erection as he continued to think about an intimate encounter with Chris. One that he wanted to have in the future but was uncertain as to whether it would happen.

-

The water in the bath had gone stale a long time ago but Leon had no interest in moving. He wasn't sure how long had passed since he'd arrived home. His skin was wrinkled and bright white. He slowly allowed himself to sink further down, exhaling as the water tickled his nose.

The hospital had phoned him informing him that he shouldn't have left but they made no attempt to try and get him back. He had wanted to ask about Chris but he couldn't bring himself to. After all, he had just left without even checking in his partner. He felt like the lowest of the low. It was his fault that Chris was this way anyway.

He had escaped and left Chris. Even though Chris had told him to go, even though he'd gone back for him...he still felt responsible.

Everything he had done; everything he had said on that day played over and over again in his head. He couldn't get it out of his head. If it wasn't his fault then why did he feel so guilty? He couldn't have done anymore. If he had, he could have ended up dead himself but that might have been a better fate. The turmoil he was feeling was too much for his mind to handle.

Despite how aroused he felt earlier, he had been unable to finish himself off. It wasn't just his heart that Chris was softening right now.

He ran his fingers along his legs, smoothing the fine hairs in the correct direction before he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Suddenly, shocking the water he was lying in, he gripped onto the side of the bath and jumped out.

-

As Leon walked through the hospital, it felt like the entire world was moving at a hundred miles per hour. People were rushing past him at the speed of light. His heart was racing and his head was pounding again. He wasn't sure what had come over him but he knew he wouldn't feel better again until he saw Chris.

Maybe it was a guilty conscience. He shook his head as he manoeuvred past the nurses. He wasn't even sure why he was kidding himself. He was apathetic because he cared for Chris; he just didn't want to admit it until he knew that Chris was alive and well.

He stopped at the door, peering through the small window. All he could see was a nurse, obscuring the view to bed. He could feel the tension in the pit of his stomach building up as he pushed the handle down and slid inside, leaving the door slightly ajar.

Before he had even closed the door, the nurse turned around and had her hands on her hips. It wasn't Loren. This nurse had harsher features and was clearly a senior staff member.

"Don't you know it's rude to enter a room without knocking?" She asked in Italian, speaking fast as she moved away from the bed and started putting a fresh pillowcase on a pillow.

It was then that Leon noticed the bed was empty. He moved forward, taking hold of the nurse by the shoulders, shocking the woman as he invaded her personal space. "Where is the man from that bed?" He asked, his own attempt at Italian, knowing his accent to be offensive to anyone who would lend an ear.

She took in a deep breath, shaking her head. "Do I look like hospital administrations? I am only in this room because we are short staffed and the bed needs changing."

"But if you're making the bed then surely you know where the man is who was once in that bed."

"He's not here anymore. I don't know where they have taken his body."

Fear paralysed his features for a moment. "His body? Why would they be moving his body? Do you mean..."

The nurse sighed deeply, taking his hands from her shoulders before she took hold of the pillow again. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to be blunt but if your friend is not in the bed then one can only assume..."

Leon raised his hand to his mouth, taking in sharp breaths before he bit down on the back of his hand. He crouched down, fighting back the urge to cry out and break down. He couldn't let the nurse see him like this. Staggering to his feet, he ran from the room.

He'd lost another partner, was his first thought as he stumbled down the corridor, ignoring the glances of concern from other staff. He'd lost the man he was starting to care for. The man who had plagued his mind and heart since he had arrived. The man he wanted to hate but just couldn't. What was wrong with him?

He saw a fire exit ahead and without thinking twice, he crashed into it, stumbling into the drafty stairwell. He wanted to throw up but all he could do was dry heave as he leaned against the concrete wall, his forehead pressed against the bricks.

His fist collided with the wall over and over. His cheeks damp with tears as he sobbed loudly. No one was going to come out here and he doubted there were security cameras and if there were, he didn't care. He could still taste Chris on his lips as he darted his tongue out. His body ached everywhere Chris had touched.

"I can't believe it," he mumbled to himself, falling down against the wall, sliding fully to the ground. It was cold and damp but that was the least of his worries. "Chris, why did you go?" He said with an angry tone, kicking the ground.

Why hadn't the hospital phoned him? He had the right to know. Then again, it wasn't like he was family or anything. He was just his work partner after all. He had no sort of kinship to Chris.

He inhaled deeply, allowing the smell to filter into his senses. Mould and...cigarettes? In a hospital? He couldn't help but shake his head. It was then that he heard a snigger from above him. Would someone really laugh at him at a time like this? Or was his mind playing tricks on him...?

Blinking hard, he craned his neck upwards, sniffing harshly as he squinted his eyes. There, hanging over the railings in a flimsy hospital gown was a dead man.

"What the..." He muttered, scrambling to his feet and cautiously walking up the stairs as he saw a solid looking ghost. Were his eyes now playing tricks on him? He moved closer, cautiously. Wiping his eyes, he felt his heart jump.

"I was wondering when you'd notice me," Chris remarked, taking a long drag from his cigarette and exhaling the smoke with an overly relieved look on his face. "Man, it feels good to be able to control my demise again."

Leon stood a few steps away from Chris, watching with disbelief as he continued to smoke and smile at him. It was so reckless to be smoking in a hospital for more reasons than the obvious ones. Before he could even control himself, he leapt forward, shoving Chris harshly backwards until he met the wall. Without even waiting for him to protest, he crashed their lips together in a heated kiss that Chris fully reciprocated.

He had been waiting for this. Ever since he had carried Chris out of the underground bunker, he had been longing for a reaction from the man. He ran his hands down the sides of the hospital gown, slipping his fingers under the large slit on the back before he gently felt the hot flesh. He had longed to feel his partner again and have him react in a similar way. He couldn't help but moan into the kiss as he felt Chris's large hands cup his buttocks and pull him closer, deepening their kiss.

It wasn't how Leon had imagined a kiss with the man he loved would taste. He'd imagined it to taste like fine wine but as the taste of cigarettes and, what he assumed must have been a chocolate bar, filled his senses, he felt comfortable. Comfortable enough to admit that the reason for his heart soaring was this man he was kissing. He felt comfortable enough to admit to himself that even though he barely knew Chris, he was in love with him.

As they broke their kiss, he couldn't help but smile as they pressed their foreheads together, tenderly touching their noses together.

He wanted to ask so many questions; say so many things but the first thing that came out of his mouth was "Where did you get the money for a candy bar?"

Chris laughed, pulled Leon into a hug before he rested his chin on the smaller man's shoulder and raised his cigarette up to his mouth again. "I punched the machine. A nice little bar fell out....man, this European chocolate is better than the stuff back home. I think I got a cavity from just eating that tiny bar."

Leon shook his head, nuzzling Chris's neck. Every action he did felt alien but at the same time, it felt so normal. His heart told him to tell Chris how he felt but it didn't feel right. He was certain that Chris felt something for him but at the end of the day, Chris could still reject him.

He pushed his body closer to Chris's, holding him tighter. He couldn't deal with Chris's rejection. Not now; not ever.

* * *

A/N: Yay, they're both alive, awake and...well, by the way I was writing about them holding each other, they're just dying to jump each other. Oh, I wonder when Chris will be discharged? :P Oh and yeah, I figure Chris would be the kind of person who would nearly die and then, as soon as he seems better again, he'd smoke and eat chocolate. Maybe Leon will sort him out...get some fruit in that gorgeous body. My beta had no say in the ending of this chapter....because she went away to do things. So if it sucks, I'm to blame. I shouldn't be allowed to do my own thing.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: So for a few of you (probably the only ones reading this note), the chapter notification will have also been delivered at about the same time as a response to the last review you left because I'm about to go respond to everyone who left me a nice review! ...or nasty one, I respond to those two. Anyway, this chapter is about 5000 words long so go get yourself a snack...maybe some popcorn...salted popcorn...or cheese.

Oh and my university exams are over for another year, it's officially summer and although I won't be at home all next month, I will have my laptop with me and an internet connection so you'll get updates from me. Keep an eye out for more really terrible fics from your dearest (probably most hated now) fanfiction writer.

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

"So how long are you going to be stuck in this bed?" Leon asked as he watched Chris eat a chocolate pudding with great difficulty since the spoon was larger than the pot the yogurt was in. He didn't make a move to go and find a smaller utensil though.

Chris shrugged, discarding the spoon and dipping his finger in. "I don't know what anyone around me is talking about. You'd think they'd learn English or something..."

Although it sounded like a joke, Leon couldn't help but notice how serious his partner's face was. He didn't feel the need to point out that he had failed to learn Italian or even attempted it. Instead, he got to his feet and moved over to the window. It was sunny, a little too sunny for his own tastes but it didn't stop him from admiring how the flowers flourished under the warm beams of light.

"I hate to bring this up but we have a slight problem on our hands. Judging by the Umbrella insignia plastered on everything down in the bunker, I'd say that they have reformed their little pharmaceutical group," Leon started, his eyes on the large bumble bee that darted between the flowers. "Which means that...well, you know what that means."

"Zombies," Chris slurred, trying to stop himself from projecting chocolate pudding all over the bed as he spoke. He swallowed quickly and placed the small pot down onto his tray. "Look, we've already taken out Wesker and unless they've got a new brain box employed, I doubt anything serious is going to happen."

Leon sighed and turned back around. "Wesker was simply one of their tools. He may have once been a great researcher but he never acted alone. There is always more than one person involved."

"You think some mad Italian scientist? I can dig that sort of theory," Chris joked, popping a grape in his mouth. "At least they didn't choose somewhere like Brazil or...Texas."

Leon raised an eyebrow, curious as to why he chose those two places but he didn't care to probe any further into that. After all, Chris rarely seemed to have any justification for anything he said or did and he was certain that the reasoning behind the two choices were because of some weird vendetta he had with them; something stupid like they had stopped producing his favourite men's magazine.

"The Italian police are hardly known for their great detective skills. Umbrella could carry out their activities undetected and a few more of their millions would shut up anyone who tried to investigate. However, what concerns me is why you were brought into all this," Leon said blandly. "I am familiar with your past and your records. I know all about you and this man, I can't believe I failed to recognise him when I saw him in the flesh."

"It was hardly the most ideal situation. You can't be blamed for not putting it all together until now," Chris uttered as he took hold of another grape and began rolling it around on his tray.

"I haven't even put it together yet. I don't understand, none of it makes sense. Why here? Why now?" He could hear the annoying sound of the grape hitting various objects. With every bang, it caused anger to build inside him. He normally kept his cool but ever since he'd 'finished' the mission, he had been on edge. He knew Chris was to blame for his recent change in attitude. He was feeling everything now. After being so numb for so long, everything was coming back sevenfold.

"You need to calm down a little. You're getting agitated about something that is nothing to do with us. We finished what we had to do. All we need to do now is hand in a little report telling the boss how we basically got our asses handed to us by a man who should, by now, be needing some sort of hip replacement."

Leon felt his eye twitch. Before he knew it, he was next to Chris's bed and the palm of his hand had landed squarely on the rolling grape, much to Chris's shock. He could feel the grape juice seeping through his fingers and before he knew it, the rage he felt inside was flooding through his veins.

"Dammit, Chris! Don't you understand that this is serious? This is massive. It's bigger than I can even understand." He hated to admit it in his head, and he hated even more to admit it aloud. He prided himself on being able to deduce everything logically and with haste. However, their current predicament had left him confused.

Chris rolled his eyes before he took hold of Leon's wrist and pulled him closer. "You need to calm down. I promise you that this will all be sorted out once I'm free to leave the hospital. I shall take full responsibility for any mistakes we made and I alone shall suffer the repercussions." He raised Leon's hand to his face and smirked before he poked out his tongue and began lapping up the remnants of the squashed grape.

Leon wanted to continue to be mad but with every lick, he felt his rage fading. Along with the new sense of calm he had washing over him, he couldn't stop a smile from rising on his features. "That tickles," he uttered with a slight laugh.

Grinning, Leon perching himself on the edge of Chris' bed before he sighed deeply. He continued to look at Chris, feeling an unusual feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was as though he was seeing the other man in a completely new light. He wanted to throttle him; he truly did but only for shallow reasons. What he really wanted to do was open up to him, kiss him, and hold him. He had never wanted to hold anyone before; perhaps hug them quickly but never embrace them for an extended amount of time, but all he wanted to do was grab the man and never let go.

"Why are you looking at me all... intense like?" Chris asked, a confused expression plastered on his face.

"How do you want me to answer that?" Leon whispered, placing his hands on either side of Chris and leaning over the bed. He was used to being upfront about his physical pleasure; after all a single man needed to be, but being upfront about his feelings was a completely alien concept to him.

He pushed the tray to the end of the bed before he slid himself up onto the bed, raising his hands up onto Chris's shoulders. He couldn't open up to Chris, he just couldn't bring himself to. Instead, he gently began massaging his partner's shoulders.

"Don't do that," Chris mumbled, unsure as to why he was stopping Leon. "Why do you always stare at me? Look, I hate to sound like a woman but I really don't understand you."

Leon chuckled, allowing his left hand to fall down and slip under the sheet. He playfully groped the older man, a smirk on his face. "Oh, just so long as you're all man in body, I don't care what you sound like."

"Leon, for once in my life, I'm trying to be serious. I would love nothing more than to fuck you right here and right now but first, we need to talk about some things," he started, placing his hands on Leon's hips. He could feel his manhood harden from the simple touch of the other man but he couldn't get Leon's reaction to his demise out of his head.

"I don't know what you want to talk about."

"You were crying just a moment ago because you thought I was dead. Shouldn't this be discussed?"

"We should discuss why I would be upset when my partner dies?" Leon snapped at Chris, hanging his head as the thought of Chris dying flooded his mind again.

"I've been known to mourn the loss of a comrade but running into a fire escape, bawling my eyes out and going one-on-one with a concrete wall? That's something not even I have done and I'm pretty open about what I'm feeling," Chris admitted, scoffing and letting his head flop to one side. "I'm an open book, whereas you... you're like one of those locked diaries.

Leon took in a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about my feelings," he began, sucking his lip into his mouth.

"Why?"

"Because once I start, I don't know how I'll stop. I'll end up saying things that neither of us wants to hear," he continued, clutching onto Chris' gown as he nibbled on his own lip; anxiety building. He didn't want to open up, he couldn't handle it. "I don't want to do this."

Chris placed his fingers on Leon's chin, tilting it upwards so he could look him straight in the eyes. "We've been through more in my short time here than most couples have in a lifetime. I think it's safe for you to say whatever you want to me; even if it is your usual 'I hate you'."

"I don't hate you," Leon muttered, trying to turn his face away but Chris's fingers held it firmly in place. He was about to shuffle back, get out of the room, out of Chris's seemingly all-knowing stare when his mind backtracked to what Chris had just said. "Wait, did you just imply that we are a couple?"

Chris raised a hand to his hair, rubbing it roughly before he dropped it to the nape of his neck and nervously scratched the skin. "I kinda thought that was where this was all going...I mean, I've never had anyone greet me with such passion as you did... but then I've never had anyone think me dead before," he mumbled, wincing slightly. "If you don't wanna be then I can dig it... I guess I am kinda stupid... and not all that attractive... and I tend to just make trouble...and I'm a complete slob... and I thought I was straight until a few weeks ago..."

Before Chris could continue any further, Leon took hold of the older man's face with both hands and placed a simple kiss on his lips. Then, he simply ruffled Chris's shorter hair as he looked at him with a smile on his face.

"You're an idiot. An oaf. An ignoramus. But I've fallen for you, despite every single flaw you have."

"Y'know, I think you are incapable of talking to me without insulting me," Chris pointed out, smiling.

"Don't be a dolt, I'm not always insulting you."

"There you go again!"

Leon sighed, pressing a finger to Chris's lips. "You need to shut up," he said slowly, rocking forward slightly, pushing his own erection against Chris's. "Right now, I want to show you something."

"And what's that?" Chris asked through gritted teeth, trying to stop himself from feeling too much pleasure so soon. He'd never had such an overwhelming urge to come so suddenly. They hadn't even touched each other and yet, he wanted his release so badly. Perhaps it was the fact he was dosed up to the eyeballs on various medications.

No, he knew this wasn't the effect of some manmade drug. This was a more potent chemical. This was love.

He watched as Leon unzipped his own trousers and slid his hand into his boxers, a smirk playing on his face. Chris' eyes widened as he looked down, his hand instantly covering up Leon's erection.

"Don't get that out here!" Chris hissed, trying to look serious as Leon laughed and removed his hand.

"I want you to look at it. If you're going to be with me, you're going to have to get used to the sight of my cock," Leon replied, waving his hands in a dismissive fashion before he took hold of Chris' face and forced him to look downwards.

Chris closed his eyes. "I don't want to look at your dick, dude..." he mumbled. Truth be told, he could count on one hand the amount of penises he had seen. In locker rooms, he didn't bother looking at the nether regions of his male comrades. Up close, he'd only really seen his own.

He suddenly felt a sharp pinch on his ear and snapped his eyes open. However, his face was still being held by Leon and he couldn't help but stare at the other man's genitalia on display.

"Just look at it," Leon whispered. "If you don't, I'll bite your ear again."

Chris took in a deep breath and shook his head, unable to look at a anything but Leon's manhood. "I'm looking, I'm looking but I don't understand why I am."

Leon tilted his face upwards, chuckling. "Look, you're sudden turnaround with your sexuality makes me wonder about things... so you've got to get used to looking at my penis, especially since your you're going to be putting it in your mouth when you return back to my place."

"Back up a little, and I don't mean physically because the weight you're putting on my thighs and the way your erection it pushing against mine is quite nice..." Chris started, raising an eyebrow as he spoke. "It's quite presumptuous of you to think that I'll be providing you with oral sex... or that I'll be going back to your place."

Leon sighed, shifting his body slightly, pushing the bed sheets down. "We can discuss what you will and won't be doing later, but now..." He leaned down, pressing his lips against Chris's, pulling him into a heavy kiss as he allowed his hands to reach around and untie the hospital gown.

The paper like garment fell by the wayside as Chris slid it off his arms and pulled Leon deeper into the kiss, his large hands exploring the younger man's clothed body.

He all but whimpered as Leon broke the kiss and jumped off the bed, his erection begging to be touched as he watched his partner's slim figure turn around. Was he just teasing him? Sex in a public place, a hospital at that, did seem out of character for the other man. If his body wasn't so hot, he could have sworn he was still dreaming.

His eyes widened as he watched Leon shut the curtains and swiftly drop his trousers and kick them to the side, along with his boxers. He couldn't help but notice that it was all there. The entire male package in all it's glory. Sure, Leon had made him look at it a moment ago but now that things had got sexual, he was seeing it in a whole new light.

His mind did a double take. Did he really want to touch another man's penis? He wasn't so sure himself but as Leon straddled him again, he found his right hand instantly reaching for it. He wrapped his fingers around the shaft, bemused by how Leon let out a small moan.

Leon allowed his head to flop down onto Chris' shoulder. This wasn't how he would normally do things but desperate times called for desperate measures and as he slid his fingers into the older man's mouth, he knew that he was, indeed, desperate for sexual gratification. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Chris sucked on his digits. At last, a way to shut Chris up, he joked to himself as he withdrew them and slid them between his own legs, knocking Chris' hand out of the way.

"What are you doing?" Chris asked, panting heavily. He could only watch as Leon's face showed his discomfort as he stretched himself out. He wanted to say something; help somehow but at the same time, it was a turn on to see Leon touching himself and he was sure that Leon wouldn't accept his help even if he offered.

"That's a lesson for another day," he mumbled in response, letting out a staggered sigh as he probed himself deeper before he pulled his fingers out. He spat into his palm, laughing to himself as Chris grimaced and shuddered as he slicked up the older man's cock.

He left his hand on Chris's dick as he raised himself up, placing one hand on his partner's shoulder. Taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes, he slowly lowered himself, guiding Chris' erection as he penetrated himself.

A long sigh drawled out as he felt Chris fill him up completely. His eyes watered and his breath hitched as he adjusted his position. He didn't care for how Chris felt at that moment, right now, he was only concerned about himself, selfish as the thought was.

"Are you okay?" Chris questioned with a concerned tone to his voice, gently placing his hands on Leon's hips, rubbing the skin in a soothing circular motion.

"Nothing I can't handle," Leon replied, smiling as he captured Chris' lips, kissing him lightly before he delved his tongue inside, deepening the kiss with as much passion as he could muster, slowly rocking his lower body to the rhythm of their moans.

His tongue lazily moved in Chris' mouth as they continued to kiss, raising his body up, pushing his erection against his partner's chest as he moved.

His body trembled as he broke their kiss. His hands clutched at Chris' back as his hips were forced down by his partner. He wanted to cry out; both in pleasure and pain but he was too aware of his surroundings to make a loud noise.

"You're too much," Chris muttered, digging his nails into Leon's skin as he thrust up.

The metal bed creaked loudly, drowning out their quiet moans as they continued to make love, the heat in the room rising with every pant that escaped their lips. The IV bags shook on their stands; the fluids splashed around inside as the bed knocked into them over and over as Leon rode Chris harder.

"Don't say such things during sex," Leon hissed, holding onto Chris tighter as he felt the older man's hands slide up the back of his shirt, touching his hot skin. The mere touch caused his own body temperature to skyrocket even further. He wanted to remove his remaining garments but he was too close to fulfilling his own satisfaction and by the way that Chris was sporadically meeting his own movements, he could tell his partner was too.

There would be time later to slowly explore each other's bodies but right now, he needed a quick raw fuck like this. He needed the clumsy movements; the awkward positions; the painful intrusion to keep him grounded and remind him that like this sex, their lives would be full of inconveniences.

"Touch me," he whispered, running his tongue along Chris's neck, tasting the salty sweat that saturated his entire body.

Feeling the other man's hesitant hand encasing his cock was enough. It felt shameful to allow his body to let go under such a simple act but he couldn't stop it as he felt himself spill into his hand, a slight whimper dribbling from his lips as he released.

His own body had stopped moving as he came down but he could still feel Chris moving inside him with such a speed, it made his eyes roll back in his head. The way Chris unknowingly hit his prostate exactly head on made his entire body yearn for more. The pleasure that came from such a simple act.

"Stop." He commanded, placing both his palms on Chris' chest, feeling his heart pulsating under the flesh as he looked him in the eyes.

"But I'm so close," Chris said through gritted teeth. A notable whine escaped his mouth as Leon slid off his lap and moved down his body. "I can't believe you're being this selfish..."

He watched as a smirk graced Leon's face before he closed his eyes in defeat. However, he didn't even have a chance to do anything about his own arousal before he felt a heat encase his cock again. The wet warmth made his hips buck up instantly.

"Don't do that after..." He groaned, unable to finish his complaint as he felt his entire erection slide fluidly in and out of Leon's mouth.

He glanced down, his entire body twitching all over as he watched his dick glide slowly out of Leon's mouth. He licked his own lips, panting heavily as he clutched onto the bed sheets, enticed by Leon's tongue as it ran up his erection and circled the tip.

The expression on Leon's face was what pushed him over the edge. The intense look; the furrowed brow. He was enjoying it though, the way he greedily lapped up the semen as it shot out, small amounts landing on Leon's face. Instead of complaining like Chris expected, he merely looked up, a smirk on his face before he grazed his finger over his cheek and gathered the liquid on his fingertip before licking it up.

"I expected you to be able to last longer," Leon said with a chuckle as he slowly climbed off the bed and grabbed his trousers. He wasn't one to just up and go but he had other things to do; coming to the hospital had been planned but screwing his partner was an unexpected occurrence and he hadn't budgeted his time for it.

"Y'know, I could say the same about you," Chris replied, letting out a blissful sigh as he relaxed into his bed, leaving his entire body exposed.

"I have my reasons but that can be explained another time." Leon opened the curtains again, noting that the sun had began to set. How long had he been here? He raised his wrist up to look at his watch but as he stared at the hands, his mind refused to register what it said. "The boss left a message on my machine. I have to go and see him... I suspect we're both in trouble for what went on."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Well, I currently have more important things to worry about."

"Such as?"

"For starters, I need to mop up the mess I made from melting your icy exterior," he joked, raising his arms in a defensive manner as Leon playfully swatted him. "And then I have to get better..."

Leon sighed heavily, throwing a sheet onto Chris's naked body before he started to walk towards the door. "You do that and I will do adult things. Then you can come back to my place and we can play happy families and everything will be perfect." His voice sounded more cynical than he had planned but it didn't bother him. He couldn't let Chris think he had done a total one-eighty.

He slowly meandered to the door. Part of him wanted to stay with Chris and watch over him. He was scared that something bad could happen, like he could actually die. He still hadn't told the other man how he felt. On the other hand though, he knew he had things to do.

"Hey Chris?" Leon spoke up as he placed his hand on the door, turning around slightly. He could do this. He could tell him how he felt before he left. He was under no obligation to stay afterwards and Chris wouldn't ridicule him for admitting his feelings for him...would he?

"Yeah?"

He shook his head, holding back unspoken words as he muttered "I'm really glad you're okay." before he slipped out of the room, not waiting around to see the smile grace Chris' face as those words reached his ears.

The entire fifth floor of the Italian branch of the European BSAA had been like a warzone since the boss had demanded a helicopter be flown out to pick up the two American agents a few days ago. Nothing had been filed correctly and the place looked like a bomb had hit it.

The temporary secretary had been so flustered since she had arrived, she failed to notice the two men pass by. None of the other staff even cast a second glance at them as they slipped into the main office.

The two men closed the door silently. The taller of the two immediately stalked across the room and pressed the receiver of the phone as the smaller one placed a briefcase down onto the desk.

"Who the hell are you two and what the hell are you doing in my office?" The boss screamed, red in the face already as he slammed his phone down. "I don't remember you knocking at all." He placed his lit cigar onto the edge of the ashtray, exhaling a large amount of smoke.

The taller man stepped forward, clearing his throat. "My name is White and this," he waved his hand to the left of him before he adjusted the sunglasses on his face. "...this is Red. Are you a Mr. Angelo Giovanni?"

The boss narrowed his eyes, pointing down to the small triangular plaque on his desk. "More Americans, eh? Well, you can read, can't you? Or are you as stupid as the tourists you keep on sending to me?"

"We shall be the ones asking the questions," Red said, smoothing down his suit before he took a seat.

White flipped the case on the desk open, taking out two sheets of photo paper. He slid them across the desk, tapping on the faces of the two people in the photos.

Angelo remained expressionless as he glanced at his two agents in the photo, talking to the man who was his former secretary in some sort of laboratory. He looked away, picking up his lit cigar from the ashtray side.

"Redfield and Kennedy, where are they?" Red asked, his voice as monotonous as his expression.

"Can I see some sort of identification that would allow you access to that information?" He asked, squinting as he noticed a name badge on both of their blazers. The logo in the corner niggled in his brain. He knew that logo...the small segments of white and red, but he couldn't place it. His age was catching up with him; his mind failing.

Red shook his head, looking over at White as he dipped his hand into his blazer. "I really did not want it to go like this but orders are orders," he said, taking out a silver gun with one hand before he took hold of the silencer White held out to him.

"What the hell is this?" He bellowed, standing up and picking up his cigar once again, placing it between his lips and he huffed. He could hear his wife in his mind, shouting at him that he sounded like the 'big bad wolf' when he did that but he was past caring since he now had a gun pointed in his face. "I'm calling security," he mumbled, reaching for the phone, only to have the butt end of the gun slammed down on his knuckles.

"I advise you against that, sir." White said blandly, moving closer behind Red.

"We only wish to know one thing," Red stated, waving the gun slightly as though he was joking. "Where are the two American agents who are working for you?"

Angelo could feel a smile forming. He had a gun pointed in his face and he was certain that these two men meant serious business, however, despite the danger he knew that this situation could only end in one of two ways. Either he gave up information on Chris and Leon, thus betraying everything he stood for since he was a proud man or he didn't and he would have an intimate encounter with the bullets held in the magazine of the gun.

He let the smile grace his face. He had worked for the company his entire life. He wasn't about to go back on everything he had learnt. The lives of two young men were worth more than his own. He could hear his wife again in his head. She would cause havoc if anything bad happened to her pretty boy.

"We actually only have one American working for us now. We have a man who came from America but his passport says he's an Italian citizen now," he mused, grinning as he sat back down in his chair, taking a slow puff of his cigar. He loved the taste; the texture of them. Everyone had always said he'd get lung cancer. Seemed he proved them wrong.

"Mr. Giovanni, we have little patience for the likes of you. Your time is running out." Red tightened the silencer before he aimed it at Angelo's chest. "Tell us where they are and you'll get to go home and taste your wife's cooking again."

Angelo let out a hearty laugh, leaning back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head as he did so. "I really hate my wife's cooking so I think I'll just keep my mouth shut. If you could show yourselves out..."

Red sighed, looking over at White before he stroked the trigger of his gun. "It's a pity you couldn't assist us with our enquiries."

As if on cue, a bullet flew out of the barrel, shooting across the room at light speed before it penetrated Angelo's shirt, then his skin, then his bones before it finally hit his heart. His cigar slowly fell from his mouth and before it had even hit the ground, the two men had left the room.

* * *

A/N: Death and sex...in the same chapter? Well, I didn't say the boss (whoa, I gave him a name) was dead... but it's implied. Tune in next time for more passion and mystery in Nothing Is Ever Simple.

That was lame. The title is lame. Oh, and don't get all huffy because Chris and Leon still haven't had that romantic lovemaking session. Come on...I wasn't really going to have either man drop the L bomb in hospital. Just stay with me on this one... even if the plot doesn't go anywhere, Leon and Chris are going to be getting sticky.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: My beta sucks balls. She should be rolled up in a carpet and thrown off a bridge. I gave this chapter to her AGES ago and I got it back today. I think she lied to me about computer problems. Yeah, I'm a complete twat. I can't believe she takes this shit from me.

On a different note: I'm posting this from Prague (which is in the Czech Republic)! It doesn't make any difference to the story, but it does change my location on my profile. I have a little Czech flag now instead of a little UK one D:

* * *

Chapter Eighteen

Leon had always thought of Italy as a calm place; a place where people go to retire and get away from it all. He could remember working in Raccoon City all those years ago and his old captain would talk about how he couldn't wait to go to Rome and just do nothing.

However, as he stood on a crowded underground train, he felt like he was back in America. Rush hour was the same no matter where you were in the world. He couldn't get away from all the people. It was impossible. He could be on the moon and he could guarantee that the evening journeys would be plagued by Martians.

He gazed around the carriage, looking at each person. Women with children; men in suits; teenagers with their hoods up despite the heat. Even though he was underground and the train was moving fast, he still stared through the dirt caked windows. He wasn't necessarily looking at anything. He just wanted to be away from it all.

He was so used to solitude but ever since Chris had entered his life, he hadn't wanted to be alone. It was stupid and he knew it. Pining after another person after so long. He'd always heard that love made you feel differently; act differently but he'd never believed it.

It was true though. He felt like a child. He was on a crowded train and all he wanted to do was declare his love for another man in the loudest voice he could muster.

First a recorded Italian voice echoed throughout the carriage, followed by a translation of it. "The next stop is Barberini."

The monotonous voice dragged Leon back to reality and he waited until the train came to a sudden halt. Part of him wanted to jump straight back on the one going to the hospital but he knew he had a job to do. With a sigh, he dismounted his train and set off towards headquarters.

.

"Mr. Redfield, get back in your bed right now!"

As soon as the shrill voice hit Chris's ears, every single minuscule hair on his body stood on its end. He instantly snapped himself around, getting caught up in the IV wires and various cables on the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?" The nurse continued, moving over to Chris to help him out of his predicament.

"I'm leaving," he mumbled, ducking under the wires as the nurse held them up. He felt like an idiot but this was a woman who had been cleaning him since he had been checked in. He was certain that untangling him wouldn't be the low point of her day. "I'm discharging myself." he jumped into the centre of the room as soon as he was free, well aware that when he had turned his back to her, he had shown her his backside.

"You can't leave yet! You've only just woken up from a coma. You nearly died," she replied bluntly, coiling the IV tubes around her hand before she hung them on the stand.

Chris shrugged, gazing around the room. "Nearly died. Nearly! I didn't though and right now, I feel amazing."

"But your tests showed abnormal results... You recovered too quickly for a normal human," she responded, moving around the bed. As soon as she was close to Chris, she placed her hand on his arm. "Please, return to your bed."

Chris shook his head. Part of him wanted to ask why she had never spoken to him in English before but his main concern was getting out of the hospital. He disliked them at the best of times but he usually stayed in for the recommended time just to get the few days off work. This time, however, he had the time off work and he had somewhere better to be.

"If I don't recover, you complain. If I do, you complain. I can't win so therefore, I leave," he pointed out, leering down at the nurse in a patronising manner. "Now, where are my pants?"

.

Seeing a flurry of fire engines hadn't struck Leon as strange until he turned the corner and saw them outside the large building he was heading for.

Before he even got any closer, he could see smoke rising into the sky. As he brought his attention back to the area outside the building, he could see swarms of people ranging from employees to the authorities. Fires were always a big deal but in a government building? That meant more trouble than he cared to think about.

He slid between the groups of people, quickly cutting his way through the crowd, fumbling around in his jacket as he did so. Approaching the barriers, he flipped open his wallet and signalled an officer over.

"Agent Leon Kennedy," he said bluntly, shoving the wallet back into his pocket. "What the hell happened here?"

The officer stared at him blankly and shrugged. "Some guy smoking in the building. Dropped his cigar and poof."

"Is he okay?" He asked, gripping onto the barrier. He knew for a fact that his boss was the only man who still smoked in the building. Everyone had taken to going outside due to newer laws that were being pushed on them.

"Is who okay?" The officer asked, taking out a cigarette of his own and lighting it before he blew the smoke in Leon's face.

"The man who dropped the cigar. Is he okay?" he reached forward, taking hold of the officer. Before he could even control himself, he was shaking the man, asking him over and over if he was okay.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been doing it until he noticed a set of paramedics rushing out of the building. He didn't even think twice; he vaulted over the barrier and ran over to the gurney they were wheeling out. He'd recognise that large stomach anywhere, even if the shirt covering it was blackened with ash.

"Hey, wait, is he still alive?" Leon called out, stopping one of the paramedics.

The paramedic avoided all eye contact with him as he signalled for the ambulance to take off without him and then placed his hand gently on Leon's shoulder, leading him aside.

"Did you know him?" The paramedic asked, using a low tone.

Leon nodded before he frowned. "Wait, 'did'? You mean..." He turned his head to the side, watching as the ambulance pulled away.

"Although there was a fire, that wasn't what killed him. I'm not sure if I should be telling you this but..." The paramedic glanced around quickly before he looked back at Leon. "He had a gunshot wound to the stomach. He was probably dead before the fire started."

"But..."

"I really shouldn't have told you that," the paramedic mumbled, looking away.

Leon ran his hand through his hair. He felt overwhelmed with emotions. He wanted to find out more information but he knew such a thing would be pointless. A government officer killed in a high security building in broad daylight? It didn't matter if it was an inside job or not; either way it would be covered up.

He stared around at the chaos. People everywhere. If the assailant was still around, no one would be able to find him. Any evidence would have gone up in smoke and if any remained, the various authorities would have trampled it into the ground by now.

"Do you need checking over at all?" The paramedic called out to Leon as he started to walk away.

He didn't hear him though. Instead, he carried on walking in a catatonic state, oblivious to all his surroundings.

.

"Excuse me, do you know-" Chris called out as he stood outside the hospital but no one answered him. Instead, the people continued walking past him.

He regretted not learning any Italian and he even further regretted not accepting the nurses offer to call him a taxi. Not that it would have helped. He couldn't remember where Leon lived.

Maybe he hadn't thought it through. Maybe he really was thinking with his dick instead of his brain. The nurse had a point. He had nearly died, not that he could remember it... but regardless of any problems he may have, he wanted to see Leon. He couldn't deal with knowing that he was gallivanting off somewhere. As far as he was concerned, Leon could be out there with another man.

He instantly slapped himself on the head. He was being paranoid now.

"Hello, Mr. Redfield?"

He snapped his hear around and looked down at where the voice was coming from. It wasn't the same nurse as before but he was certain he had seen her somewhere. Her accent was thick and he did a double check around himself to make sure she wasn't addressing anyone else but he was doubtful that there were any Italians with such a last name.

"That's me, but how do you know?" He asked, crouching down by the car she sat in.

"My name is Loren. I was around when your friend visited you. He was really worried about you, almost a little too much for just a friend," she said with a raised eyebrow before she smiled. "You are looking much better than the last time I saw you. I prayed that you would get better; seems like God has a plan for you."

Chris rubbed the back of his head nervously. He wasn't sure why he had survived, or why he'd ever survived any of the incidents he had been in but despite all that he had seen; he still found the whole concept of religion a little far-fetched.

"Guess he does," he mumbled awkwardly, trying his best to smile and have it not look too false.

"Do you need a ride somewhere? A man in your condition shouldn't be out and about but I am not one to pry into why. I feel obliged to offer you a lift to wherever you are heading. After all, if any harm were to come of you, I would never forgive myself for just passing you by."

Although he was taught never to take rides from strangers, he was certain that after all he had been through, a nurse was the least of his worries and he wasn't sure that he was even well. He could relapse back into a coma at any moment. Well, as far as he knew. His only medical knowledge came from the brief first aid seminars he slept through and Grey's Anatomy.

Shrugging, he squeezed into the small car. He had hoped it was one of those cars that looked larger than it was but as his muscles pressed up against the window and his head made a dent in the ceiling, he could confirm that if anything, it was smaller than it appeared.

"You're a pretty big man..." She remarked, sniggering as she turned out of the hospital car park.

"Or maybe you're just a tiny woman," he retorted, shifting uncomfortably.

Ignoring his remark, she asked "Where would you like to be taken?"

He stared out of the window, looking at the place he had failed to explore since he had arrived. "I really don't know where the place is... where I'm staying? It's near a large government building that has flags outside. Lots of security."

"You just explained half of the buildings in Rome," she mumbled, slowing the car down as she reached a crossing. "Anything else you might have seen? Please don't say a church..."

"There was a fountain near it? Quite a big one and that was near a metro line thing..."

"I think you mean Barberini...does that name ring a bell at all?"

Chris closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about everything they had passed. The name didn't ring a bell but she hadn't said any other options. If it was wrong, he would work it out from there.

.

Leon wasn't sure how long he'd been floating in his swimming pool, just staring at the fading smoke in the sky. After the catharsis he'd felt earlier, he now just felt so numb. He knew that love and tragedy went hand in hand but he'd never expected the two events to occur in the same day.

It all felt like a bad dream. Any moment now he was going to wake up and be alone, in his empty bed, in his empty house and be running late for work because this nightmare had gone on long enough.

But he kept pinching himself and nothing came of it.

Taking in a deep breath, he immersed himself in the water. The chlorine stung his eyes instantly but he made no effort to get out of the water. Instead, he swam to the bottom of the pool and simply stayed there.

As he felt his heart racing, he thought about everything that had transpired over the past few weeks. Chris arriving, the secrecy in which the mission was carried out, the actual point of the mission and of course, managing to fall for his partner.

With all the mixed emotions he felt concerning everything in his life, he failed to notice how light headed he felt. He wasn't trying to kill himself or even pass out but the next thing he saw was Chris's lips coming down to his own. Before he knew it, his mouth was full of second-hand breathe and the taste of tobacco.

He sat his entire body up, coughing to the side, spluttering water out before he snapped his head around. "What the hell?" He screamed at Chris, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "What are you doing?"

Chris' jaw went slack for a moment. "What do you mean? I was saving your life!"

"You were giving me lung cancer more like," he mumbled, spitting out water.

"You were passed out in the pool! Did you want me to just leave you to die?" Chris asked, flopping to the ground with a thud. "Save a guy's life and get into trouble... I have all the luck."

Leon glared at Chris for a moment before his gaze softened. "Sorry... I guess I'm just a little..."

"Suicidal? What the hell happened? Did you hit your head when you dived in?"

"Something like that," he mumbled, pulling his knees up to his chest and holding them tightly. His mind was working too quickly; his thoughts had merged together and they no longer made any sense. It couldn't just be a coincidence that the boss was killed a few days after they had escaped the military bunker. They were clearly connected but he couldn't work it out. It didn't make any sense.

"Are you okay?" the soft voice dragged Leon out of his thoughts and he snapped his head up, looking Chris in the eyes.

"The boss... is dead," he said aloud, allowing his legs to fall down. He slowly stretched them out on either side of his partner, still a little uneasy with physical contact with a man who he really knew little about. "He was shot earlier today."

"What? Why?" Chris asked, slumping down between Leon's legs. Leon wasn't sure if he purposely did it or whether it was accidental but they were both suddenly closer, almost locked together by their limbs.

Leon shrugged. "I don't know, but I think it's our fault." He narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to ignore the heat radiating from Chris' body as he leaned in closer. Only moments ago, he had felt so numb but now that Chris was here, his body was conscious again. Just the mere brushing against each other's limbs was enough to send a shot of arousal coursing through his body.

"How can it be our fault? We've done nothing that we weren't supposed to do," Chris said, dismissing Leon completely, much to the younger man's frustration. Immediately, Chris caught onto Leon's change in facial expression and adjusted what he said. "I mean, we did our mission. We investigated the bunker and now we're going to compile a report. Well, not yet but you get the picture. If it will put your mind at ease, I can get someone from my unit back in the states to look into the matter..."

Leon shook his head, scoffing. "What's the point? To get past security in that place with a gun, you have to have some sort of clearance which means it was someone on the inside. Either way, I can guarantee that by tomorrow morning, it will be swept under the rug and Angelo's death will have been forgotten."

"Angelo?" Chris questioned, instantly slapping himself mentally. Of course, the bosses real name. He was never formally introduced.

He placed a hand on Leon's calf, gently massaging the muscle. His skin was still damp from the water; in fact both of them were still drenched.

As he slid up hand up Leon's leg, only to feel the entire limb tense up. Before he knew it, Leon had knocked him aside and clambered to his feet, his swimming trunks clinging to his backside as he turned away from Chris. Being the man he was, Chris couldn't help it but his cock twinged slightly, reacting to the delectable sight.

"I'm going to bed."

"Can I follow?" Chris asked, sounding like a lost puppy as he scrambled to his feet to plod along behind the younger man, only his feet suddenly stopped as Leon continued to walk along, simply shrugging to his question.

Although the motion didn't exactly say he couldn't join him, Chris felt that it would probably be in his best interests not to do so. He didn't want to make things worse. After all, there was nothing he could really do or say to make Leon feel better about the situation.

His eyes settled on the rippling water. He felt like such an outsider. He didn't feel anything knowing that the boss was dead. He was just another man in the organisation he worked for. He didn't feel responsible at all for it. He was certain the man wasn't innocent in any way. He probably had his fair share of blood on his hands.

A long sigh fell from his lips as he ran his fingers along the surface of the pool, watching it fall back in line a few moments later. He wished putting Leon's mind at ease would happen so quickly; so easily but he sensed it would take a lot to clear his partner's conscience.

.

Chris wasn't sure what would happen but he couldn't resist. He couldn't let Leon simmer in his own pan of self-loathing. He slowly slid inside Leon's room, feeling his face warm up as he recalled his last time inside the room.

He felt like such an idiot. The way he had acted; what he had said. He should have stayed and waited... or something. He didn't know. His history of relationships wasn't good. It was hit and miss, and even then... it was more miss than hit. He was more of a one-night-stand kind of guy. He always found the morning after awkward.

He glanced over at the numerous hair products, dancing his fingertips along the edge as he wandered into the room, trying to absorb Leon's interests; personality by osmosis. He didn't really know that much about the younger man. He wanted to, though. He wanted to know everything about him.

Before he knew it, he had stepped out of his clothes and was slipping between the sheets, shuffling over until his body was pressed up against Leon's. Instantly, he felt the younger man tense up in his arms. He could feel Leon's heart racing under his hand as he placed it on his chest. His own heart was pounding even louder and he was certain that if either of them spoke, he would be unable to hear anything.

He allowed his fingertips to reassuringly stroke Leon's torso, gently padding the skin as their breathing finally fell into synch.

Before he knew it, Leon had turned over and was now staring at him, large eyes red with sorrow. He didn't even comprehend the kiss as such; his hand instantly coming up to cup his partner's face and instead of feeling the heat of passion, all he could feel on the skin was the dampness of remorse.

He couldn't help but feel the tension between them and he sensed Leon's wandering hands were searching for comfort on his body. He wasn't sure if he would find it but he would certainly he would help him try to. After all, he wasn't good with his mind but he knew for a fact that he could be good with his body if given the chance, not that Leon had thus far.

Their first time had been awkward due to his intoxicated state and their second time had consisted of Leon taking charge, something he wasn't sure he could get used to. He wanted to show Leon that he was good at something. He didn't want to seem like a failure, which was what he could sense every time Leon looked at him. He had made some rookie mistakes since landing in Italy, both between himself and Leon and on the mission.

He felt Leon's hand grip onto his soft dick, a grunt of annoyance on Leon's part as he felt him trying to coax it to hardness but it refused. He couldn't help it; deep down inside, no matter how much he wanted to comfort the other man, he couldn't take advantage of someone who was upset. He wanted to be aroused, he really did, but as he gazed down and saw the dried up tears on the younger man's face, all passion flowed out of him.

Maybe he was being too sensitive. Leon was a man. He wasn't some broad he'd picked up in a bar. He could handle himself; he couldn't be that unstable. Tears were tears, they really meant nothing at the end of the day.

He allowed his eyes to properly adjust in the light. He couldn't help but see Leon as a vulnerable kitten that he just wanted to care for. His intention had been to make love to Leon but he couldn't feel any hint of arousal for the man before him.

"I can't do this. Sleeping with me won't make you feel better. We should talk about it," he said, fully aware of the repercussions that such a phrase could bring. Many women had said that to him and he knew that spelt the end. However, he had never said it to anyone himself and he most certainly wasn't intending on applying the brakes to this relationship.

Leon nodded weakly, as if admitting defeat, ceasing all hand movements. However, he didn't remove it from Chris's cock, instead he allowed it to linger.

"I'm not usually like this. I don't usually show emotion," Leon muttered, laughing awkwardly.

_You can say that again,_ Chris said to himself, rolling his eyes. "It's understandable. Everyone has their breaking point." He paused, sensing Leon truly did not want to discuss his feelings. "I'm here for you when you want to talk. I mean, you couldn't get rid of me before when you were acting like a queen bitch. Now that I know you like me, you'll never spend a moment alone again," he said, a goofy smile plastered on his face.

Leon let out a small sigh, moving his body closer to Chris's and nuzzling his neck gently. "I think I'm okay with that."

* * *

A/N: Okay, seriously, why can't I have little dashes and such in my fic anymore? I hate this big ass pagebreaks. They are making my fanfic look ugly. Do I have to go back and add them to every chapter? Are all my old chapters on giant mass of text now? *facepalm* all this makes me want to move back to Livejournal.

I just looked over them and turns out, the little dashes are missing. How long has this been happening? Man, my stories are all lumped together. I use the little dashes to signify a setting change since I can't double space. I'll have to use a dot now. Also, I bet you were all expecting them to shag. Aha, they didn't. Maybe next chapter (who am I kidding? It was really hard to keep them off each other in this chapter, I can't keep it up for another chapter ;_;)


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Guten tag! No, I'm not German, just felt like mixing it up a little. I thank you all for your continued support so to those of you who are still with me... you're awesome. My beta assured me this chapter was okay so now, I unleash it upon you all. And since my pagebreaks are fucked, pagebreaks are now something like 0o0o0o I think.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

It had barely passed midnight when Leon awoke, chilled yet drenched in his own sweat. His body was still encased by Chris's large arms and it took all his effort to slide out without waking the other man.

His dream had been so vivid. The same events had passed down in the bunker only this time, Chris hadn't made it and instead...

He glanced over at his partner. His dream could come true one day. After all, neither of them knew what was inside his body. Neither of them knew what Wesker had done to him.

It was futile to think about it really. There was nothing he could do about it and Chris had yet to show any troubling signs (unless quick recoveries were a bad thing). However, he just couldn't shake the feeling from his mind as he wandered into his bathroom.

He needed a shower. He wasn't foolish enough to think it would wash away all his problems but he knew that it would send a couple of them circling down the drain. Firstly, the steam cleared his body of the chill it experienced from sleeping without a blanket. Next, the jets of water washed the stale sweat from his body. Finally, the large arms that pulled him into a hug brushed away his insecurities...

He snapped his head up, looking up at Chris, shocked slightly by how he had failed to notice him enter the shower.

"What are you doing in here?" Leon mumbled, trying not to express his shock.

"I sensed you were in trouble and I came to rescue you?" Chris said with a goofy grin.

Leon sighed into the water, shaking his head. "You're not superman...but thanks, I guess."

"Turn around. Let me wash you," Chris commanded in a soft tone, already pushing Leon's shoulders and forcing him around.

He didn't have a say in the matter as he felt fingers run through his hair. He'd never imagined Chris to be like this. He'd imagined him to be clumsy (which he was...) and forceful. Maybe he had taken him with little grace that night but since then he had been nothing but gentle.

He let out a small moan as he felt his scalp being massaged, the scent of coconut filling the air around them. It felt comforting to have another man take care of him in such a way. He instantly relaxed as Chris's hands fell onto his shoulders and began to massage them.

"Feels good," he mumbled into the stream of water, leaning back slightly as Chris's hands slid down his arms and came to rest on his hips, trailing foam down his skin. The fingertips pressed into his skin as Chris placed his lips on his neck.

He could already feel his body responding to such simple touches. He didn't want to be this easily aroused. He wanted to show some restraint but he sensed it would be difficult to do so, especially as he leaned further backwards. He could feel Chris's own arousal against his body. At least he wasn't the only one with teenage-like reactions to the most simple of touches.

"Do you want this," Chris mumbled, still kissing Leon's neck as he allowed one of his hands to drop to his own cock. Nuzzling Leon's shoulder, he ran his erection up and down the other man's ass, settling between the cheeks and nudging slightly. "Or do you just want me to..." He muttered, reaching around to take hold of Leon's dick.

Leon gasped as Chris continued to nudge him; teasing him by not even attempting to penetrate him. Was this his idea of acting coy? He couldn't see Chris's face without turning around but he didn't want to. He had absolutely no intentions of letting Chris take him gently in the shower.

"Fuck me, Chris. I want you so badly right now," he moaned. "Do it hard..."

He expected Chris to just ignore him or dismiss him, but instead, he instantly found himself slammed against the tiles, his palms slapping against the tiled wall as he balanced himself. His entire body trembled as Chris caressed his back before he forced two fingers roughly inside him.

"Don't need any preparation," Leon muttered against the tiles, placing his hand behind himself and grabbing Chris's wrist. "I said, just fuck me."

"I don't want to hurt you," Chris mumbled, removing his fingers and sighing heavily. He stared down at the curve of Leon's back as he pushed his ass out further, searching for Chris's cock. The sight was almost perfect, only beaten in his mind by the sight of Leon climaxing.

"If I have to tell you twice, you'll regret it," Leon hissed, snapping his head around. He softened his gaze and sucked his lip into his mouth. He wanted this; he wanted it more than anything. Just to feel something so raw; so passionate. "Please, just make love to me." He said quietly, unsure as to whether his voice was heard above the sound of the shower.

Chris swallowed hard, placing his hands on Leon's hips for a moment before he aligned himself and pushed into the intense heat. It was mind blowing; the combination of the sensation of being inside Leon combined with the long whimper Leon emitted upon being penetrated. He steadied himself, allowing his hands to rise up and clasp around his partner's chest for balance.

He could feel Leon's heart racing, the pounding eerily in sync with the sound of the shower. He thought the running water would drown out the sounds of his lover but he could hear him clearly. With every thrust came a moan. He allowed one hand to slip down, gently taking hold of the other man's erection. With every stroke came a groan.

"Just a little more," Leon cried out as Chris continued to push into him. He wasn't using as much force as he would have liked but it was somewhat refreshing. To have a man treat him like a real person instead of just another soldier; another agent; another floozy...it was different. It made him feel warm. It made him feel loved. Most importantly though, it made him _feel_ again.

Chris knew this wasn't about his own pleasure. It was about Leon's. He didn't know much but he knew enough. He continued to slide his partner's arousal through his hand, thrusting into him over and over, steadying the younger man with his free hand. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Leon by pushing him over.

His own pleasure could wait, although the bliss he felt as he pounded into Leon's tightness was unbelievable. He had to make sure he didn't come too soon. He had to wait until Leon had finished, and even then, he could finish himself off elsewhere.

He didn't want to claim he knew Leon's problems. After all, he didn't. He didn't know the first thing about Leon. No amount of rifling through his partner's possessions would help him learn the truth about him. He had to find out from the man himself and he was willing to try; willing to weather out the storm.

"Chris...I want... I want to..." Leon gasped, standing upright, his hands coiling around Chris's waist, gripping his lower back. "Please, I need to..."

Turning his head around slightly, he met Chris's lips with his own, their tongues instantly finding each other as they kissed with as much passion as they could muster. Still being slowly penetrated, Leon felt his whole body tremble as the hand around his dick sped up. He didn't want it to end but as Chris pressed into him and released, he was unable to hold himself back. The sensation of Chris filling him pushed him over the edge and he climaxed, his fluids soon being washed down the drain.

Both of their moans were lost in the sound of cascading water as Leon turned around and kissed Chris full on the mouth, dragging him fully under the shower head. His hands lazily explored the other man's body as they stood there, panting, each glowing with bliss as they held the other man.

0o0o0o0

Leon's hair was still damp as he sat at the table, wearing only his boxers. The cup of coffee warmed his hands as he watched his partner take the phone into his study.

The time Chris had been there, he had never received one call. He didn't think it particularly odd. After all, when Chris had come to stay here, he had expected the other man to need to use the phone line but not once had he ever touched it. He didn't care to enquire as to whether he had family, that wasn't any of his concern although he was certain he had mentioned a sister.

He shrugged, taking another sip of his coffee.

It wasn't any of his business.

He carefully placed his drink back on a coaster as soon as Chris returned, blushing instantly. His partner had still yet to learn the concept of modesty. Even if he was an impressive package all round, it was no excuse to not wear clothes.

"Was just my sister," Chris mumbled, taking a seat. He took hold of the coffee Leon had set out for him, grabbing the bowl of sugar and spooning more than enough into it.

"Didn't ask," Leon replied, raising an eyebrow as Chris shovelled even more sugar into the cup. "You're going to get the jitters if you don't stop with that."

Chris stopped his spoon mid-air before sighing and placing the spoon back in the bowl, pushing it away. "Why do you have to be so negative about everything? I can just see us at our wedding. Do you take this man to be your husband? And you'd be all... Well, I guess so. He's not ideal but he will do. And by the way, it's not husband it's civil partner... blah blah blah. You really shouldn't take life so seriously."

"What on earth makes you think I'd ever want to marry a slob like you?" Leon said with a light tone, rubbing his foot against Chris's calf.

"Like you'd turn down the chance to have a repeat of today's shower for every remaining day of your life..." Chris replied with a smirk, chuckling as he saw Leon's face further redden.

Leon continued to rub his foot against Chris's leg, not bothering to respond to his partner's comment. Instead, he simply continued drinking his coffee.

The silence was unbearable for Chris though and he felt the need to fill it almost immediately. "So what are you going to do today? Any plans that don't involve our bed?"

"I need to go visit someone," he mumbled, placing his cup down. He glanced over at the other man, a somewhat bleak expression on his face. "And it's my bed, not ours."

"Technicalities..." Chris said in a dismissive fashion, waving his hand. "Who you visiting? Is it some sort of sex guru?"

Leon frowned. "I have to visit the boss's widow.

"Oh...Do you want me to come with you or...something?"

"No," Leon snapped, getting to his feet. "You stay here and... recover."

Chris watched Leon move over to the sink and wash his cup out. He didn't want to push Leon to tell him more. It was none of his business... but he couldn't help but want to ask. He bit his tongue though, as Leon bent down and kissed his forehead.

"Don't do anything stupid whilst I'm gone. Don't burn the house down, don't get drunk, don't..." Leon paused, running his hand through his hair before he shrugged his shoulders. "Just don't do anything reckless. If you think it could break or make a mess, then don't touch it."

"I'm not a child," Chris said with a slight pout, watching Leon as he walked out of the room.

He wasn't a child. He could be trusted to look after the house.

O0o0o0ooo0

Leon stared at the house he knew all too well. He had been there several times for dinner; sometimes just for a chat. He never thought he'd be visiting under such circumstances though.

Raising his hand, he pressed the doorbell.

It was only a few seconds before the door was flung open and he was pulled into a tight embrace; his face nestled between a large bosom. His own arms instinctively snapped around the woman's waist, holding her tightly as she openly wept on his shoulder.

Mrs Giovanni was a larger woman, both height and width but that was perhaps what he found most distressing about their hug. She had always been such a strong character, shouting at the boss, threatening him with knives and pans... She had always been warm to himself but she was a no nonsense kind of woman.

"I'm sorry...so sorry," Leon mumbled into her chest, blushing as she pushed his face further into her cleavage.

"It wasn't your fault. That damn bastard..." She said, weeping loudly.

They remained in the embrace for a number of minutes. When they did finally part, he found himself drawn inside her home for a cup of tea. He hadn't wanted to stay but he couldn't say no. He wasn't good with his feelings; he wouldn't be able to give her the reassurance and kindness she needed right now... but at the same time, his attitude might be best for her. He wouldn't lie to her at least.

He watched as she hurried around the home. It was as spotless as usual but still maintained the homely feel. There were no sympathy cards or flowers yet, either word of his death hadn't been spread or no one was interested. His boss had few friends but plenty of enemies.

"Do you take sugar?" She asked, bringing in a tray with a teapot and two cups, as well as an impressive array of biscuits.

"No thank you," he mumbled, taking his cup. He watched as she scooped sugar into her drink. His mind flashed back to Chris... such a simple act and all he could think about was that idiot. "So how are you holding up?"

She shrugged, relaxing in her seat. "As best as I can but I can't help but think about how he went... in a fire... he always hated fire. Never knew why he smoked when he hated fire," she said blandly, taking a sip of her drink.

His mind flashed back to Chris. Was he smoking in his house? Probably. He shook his head, taking in what she had said. They'd lied to her too. He didn't have the heart to correct her. "Are you okay being alone at such a time?"

"My son is coming back home for a while..." She sighed, resting her drink on the arm of the chair. "Are you okay being alone? You are still alone, right? We always worried about you... always so alone."

Leon took his eyes off the woman and gazed down into his own drink. Was he alone? He had Chris now but... he smiled slightly. No, he wasn't alone. "You shouldn't worry about me, I'm fine."

"Ah, I saw that smile. You have someone finally," she said with a cheery tone, rocking slightly in her chair. "That's good."

o0o0o0o

Chris took a long drag on his cigarette as he sat nude on a deckchair beside the pool. His fingers hovered over the buttons on the phone. He had promised to phone his sister back as soon as Leon had left but he didn't want to continue the discussion they had started.

Her words echoed through his mind.

_When are you coming home?_

The question had come after he told her his mission was finished. It was the question that had been on his mind ever since he been intimate with Leon.

He had failed to tell Claire about the man. After all, he wasn't even sure where they stood. He doubted Leon would be prepared to just uproot his life in Italy and move back to America... and he couldn't stay in Europe. Sure, he had fallen for Leon but he wasn't sure if he could do a long distance thing.

Rolling over, he folded his arms and placed his chin on his forearms, closing his eyes as he puffed on his cigarette. He didn't want to discuss it with Leon. He didn't want to ruin what they currently had. Maybe he was being immature but he wanted it to stay like this, whether it was for another day; another week or another year.

* * *

A/N: Oh you guys know where this is going... anyway, reviews are nice if you're still with me. I know I probably lost your attention in this chapter after the sex... so... next chapter there will be...actually, the next chapter is just going to be Leon and Chris talking, kissing, doing things... then the chapter after that will probably be the same... then the one after that will probably be the last. Oh my, it's almost over? D:


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